Out of Fables
by Kuno12
Summary: It's been five years since Kai left, three years since their children were taken away and Jinora Gyatso has had non-stop poor luck since. Now, she lives in a dingy Republic City apartment with no remnants of the life she had with her old love. Fortune seems to smile upon her, however, when an email arrives from her daughter begging her to come to a town called Fablebrooke. OUaT AU.
1. Birthday

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

This fic was co-written by kuno-chan and spiritypowers

* * *

 **Birthday**

* * *

Twenty-eight birthdays and not a one felt more alone than this one.

Each year in the last three years Jinora Gyatso would tell herself that same line. Twenty-five birthdays. Twenty-six birthdays... twenty-seven birthdays… and now here they were at twenty-eight.

Spirits, her life was just great, wasn't it?

Kids still weren't in her custody. Hell, she didn't even know where they were.

Of course, that was her fault. She should have gotten a better job after their dad left. Should have hustled more. Should have found some means to an end even if she had to go back to a little bit of stealing. Just from maybe some rich prick who wouldn't notice a few thousand dollars missing.

Just to have given her enough _time_.

But that was the thing with Child Protective Services.

They didn't give a damn about your time. It wasn't like she could entirely blame them though she wanted to. They had jobs to do and kids to make sure got fed.

Jinora sighed. She stared down at her little chocolate cupcake on top of her wobbly little dining table in her dismal little apartment for one. No, it had been her fault. Three years ago she swore to get her kids back. Yet, here she was. Kidless, friendless - being a bounty hunter did that to you - and nearly as penniless as she was three years ago.

With no skills, how was she to make real money? She tried to get jobs nearly everywhere, but with just a GED a lot of places just weren't going to take her. It wasn't like she could drag her pathetic little story from place to place until somebody offered her a job, although she had been very tempted to do so if the first person she had tried that on hadn't nearly outright laughed in her face.

Today hadn't been much either just by itself.

She had gotten her man of the day, a middle aged drunkard who ran off with his boss's money. A part of her wanted to let the guy go after she got snippets of how his old boss used to treat him like a maid service even though he was an accountant and not a personal assistant. She very nearly let him go when said boss just about ordered the man to wash his car unless he wanted to be fired.

Well, under those circumstances she might have run off too. Then again, the man was probably a better person than she was. Jinora would have run off with the money sooner than that.

On the other hand, the boss probably would have asked more of Jinora.

The whole thing had made her look in on herself. Reminded her of just how _sad_ this all was and the fact was that she was a bounty hunter who couldn't hunt down her own children. Even then, what would she do when she found them? It wasn't like she was going to be allowed to have them back as of yet. She was penniless, practically jobless and in no condition to raise three children.

Being forced back into memories she simply couldn't - wouldn't - let go, Jinora remembered her babies and wished only for them. Her eldest, Nima, had been such a happy little sunray. Happy all the time even as a baby. It made her almost chuckle to think about how upset she suddenly was at the fact that she would be getting a sibling. Even more upset when she learned that her one sibling had then turned into two. Her heart ached remembering that brown skin and those green eyes. Her _father's_ green eyes and brown skin. The children all had gotten slightly lighter shades of their father's skin, but they were beautiful all the same.

Her thoughts trailed off to her twins. A boy and girl five years Nima's junior, Rama and Taani had only been two when they were taken away. Tears pricked at her eyes at the thought that they probably didn't remember her. Forcing the bitterness away, she let out a laugh at her son's name. Ramashan. She always loved the book she got his name from. Taani's name had been chosen by her father. He'd heard it from a film they'd watched during her pregnancy and simply adored it.

Now, she cycled into her usual worries.

Did whoever have them know that Nima loved to dance more than anything? Did they know Rama thoroughly hated to have his hair cut? Did they know that Taani might struggle with some kind of disorder?

Jinora had never gotten to take Taani to a doctor to find out. She had never gotten to see Nima improve in her dance lessons. Never got to see if she could get her son to sit down and get just a little haircut.

Just a little one so she could have the severed lock filed away somewhere into some baby book.

She clicked on a kitchen lighter, a flame bursting at the end. Touching the flame to the tip of the candle, she clicked it off as the wick caught fire. It glowed a gentle orange in the dim light of the kitchen, dancing in the darkness. Mocking her. "Make a wish," the flickering light taunted.

The lonely candle atop of the cupcake nearly made a tear spill over, but she wiped it away and sat down on the chair in front of it.

She blew out the candle. She made the same wish she had made every year for three years. She ate her cupcake just the same.

When she was done, she threw the remnants in the trash and grabbed her laptop lying on her couch barely a room away. Onto her lap it went as she opened it and laid against the armrest of the couch. She impassively went through her rituals. News, work email, personal email. Not that her personal email ever had anything but junk mail, but sometimes the junk mail was worth looking at.

Browsing her personal email lazily, something in the bolded text caught her eye. Jinora narrowed her eyes at the strip of text and swore she felt her heart stop:

 _From: Nima Gyatso_

Suddenly and completely alert, Jinora clicked the email harder than was necessary. No, that couldn't be. It couldn't. She had to be seeing things. Nima was only… spirits, Nima was ten. Did she even know how to work a computer? Well, somebody could have taught her, she supposed.

Forcing her brain to quit rambling, she noticed no words, but instead an attachment. Hurriedly clicking to open whatever it was her daughter had supposedly sent to her, Jinora bit her lip and watched with rapt attention as the black screen of a video popped up. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes when the tiny round face of a child - _her child -_ with green eyes, brown hair and brown skin lighter than her father's appeared in the box. Behind her were purple curtains and what seemed like a nice neat little room for a little girl. Jinora knew that tiny mouth, those smiling eyes… like a kitten, she had always noted.

"Is this on…?" Nima pouted at the screen, reaching out to adjust something. Jinora actually did cry a little at hearing her voice… a light voice. A little high. Not too high, but… it was music to her ears. "I think I got it…"

"Hurry up. I wanna go get some juice," said an off-screen voice. Jinora frowned, but her eyes widened. A boy's voice. Was it…?

"Sssh, Rama!" Nima glanced somewhere Jinora couldn't see. "Hang on. We're going to send this to Mommy."

Rama's face peeked into the screen, brown eyes narrowed and Jinora actually squeaked. That was her son. Her only son. And he was looking right at her and didn't even know it.

"You promise Mommy's gonna be in here?"

"She's not going to show up," said Nima, shaking her head at her little brother. "We're gonna send her a video and _then_ she's gonna show up."

"In the computer?"

"No, in _person_. She's gonna see the video and come here. It might take a while, but she's going to come. I promise. Now, where's Taani? Taani, come here! Yes, you can bring your stuffed animal. Now, come here. We're going to record something for mommy and send it to her."

A tiny girl with a wavy bob also popped into the picture. Her eyes were just as grey as Jinora remembered them. So grey they were practically silver. She had a round little face, warm dusty brown skin like her brother and sister, and still apparently never showed a shred of emotion on her face, big grey eyes looking rather sleepy and blank all the time. That was her baby. Her youngest baby. Still the precious tiny one Jinora remembered, clutching a yellow rabbit in her arms as Nima hoisted her brother and sister onto the side of her chair so they could all fit in the picture.

And that was what made the tears spill madly. Tear after tear fell as Jinora watched three little faces peering into the camera. They were all together just right there in the screen and she cried even more profusely at how close, yet so far they were to her right in this moment.

"Hi Mom," Nima said, her voice tinny and far-off through the built-in speakers of her laptop, but still so sweet to her ears. "Happy birthday! I didn't really remember when it was before, but I looked through a bunch of our files which led to yours, and… yeah, it was a lot of paperwork. Really boring, but that's okay 'cause I found your stuff."

She had grown so much. Children grew. Jinora knew that, but three years had matured Nima more than Jinora had anticipated. Was she safe? Well fed? Had she grown up too much like she had at her age?

"Anyway, we're actually contacting you because...we need you. I mean, this whole town needs you. Not just us. Though we need you too. We're in a town called Fablebrooke, and I learned some things you probably have to hear in person. Which is why we need you to come. You can email us back to say when you're coming and we'll wait at the border, and Zuko - that's our guardian right now - knows that you're coming. I mean, he doesn't know about the stuff I'm gonna talk to you about, but...he's nice. Well, I mean, it's...complicated, but he's nice to us. He let us contact you anyway and he's still nicer than a lot of the foster parents we had."

Complicated...?

Well, at least they were in a more stable situation than she could provide.

"Please come to Fablebrooke. It's just a few hours away from Republic City. You're still living there, right? Do you still live in our little apartment with the lumpy walls that look like animals if you stare long enough?" Nima giggled softly at the memory, and Jinora couldn't help but smile. "You can tell me when you get here. We can't wait to see you again… we miss you."

"Happy birthday Mama! We love you!" Rama piped up. Taani continued to stare at the monitor blankly, clutching her yellow rabbit to her chest.

The video ended with a click, and froze on the final frame of their faces. _Her children's_ faces.

They were okay. They were safe. Safer than she'd dared to hope, anyway. They were still kept together; Spirits, she'd have to thank the merciful soul that had decided to adopt them all together. That had been one of her worst fears, that they'd all be scattered to the winds, denied one another after their parents had failed them.

She continued to stare at the monitor, tears still stinging at her eyes. It took a few moments to process - what was she waiting for? Her children were out there, asking for her to come back to them - before she clicked on the browser window, opened a new tab, and typed "Fablebrooke" into a search engine. Then, she clicked back to the email and hit the reply button, her fingers hovering over the keys for a moment before she finally typed anything.

 _I'm coming tomorrow. I love you._

Work and everything be damned. She knew where her kids were.

She _knew_ where her kids were. She was going to be able to drive to a town and see them.

Jinora hadn't realized how much she had given up on that thought, how beaten down on the idea and how completely hopeless the situation had seemed to her until that email. She had almost completely resigned to the fact that she would never see her children again. Many nights she had cried to that thought. Sobbed at the idea that she would be alone forever while so utterly unsure if her children were even being properly taken care of.

And this man, Zuko, Nima had called him.

Was he taking care of her children?

 _Did_ he ever take Taani to the doctor about her possible disorder? _Did_ he ever possibly take Rama to get his haircut? _Did_ he support his daughter's dancing hobby?

These were just some of the things she needed to know. It was concerning. Beyond concerning, really, to think that some stranger was taking care of them. Not that she'd had a choice in the matter, of course, but the idea unnerved her. Then again, said stranger could actually be a very nice person, but it bothered her the way Nima talked about him. She said he was nice to them though it didn't seem like she had made herself much at home. At least in earnest.

She wondered about Rama and Taani. How had they adjusted to all of this? Jinora had caught that bit about being passed around foster parents and that thoroughly disturbed her. As she remembered it, the twins, especially Taani, took a moment to get attached to people they didn't know. Sometimes a long moment. With that in mind, she thanked the spirits that they had all stayed together. Nima was the one familiar face they needed. Their guide in all of this who would take care of them and comfort them when it was rough.

Sleeping that night was hard and restless. She was _going_ to Fablebrooke starting tomorrow, everything be damned. The lease on the apartment was nearly up and she could afford to pay up a couple months rent to end it. It would take up just about all the money in her savings, but she could do it. Her car was nearly filled up… if she needed gas or food she could use the last bit of spare cash she just got from her bounty today…

She could do this... she could really do this.

The next morning, Jinora got up early to pack whatever little clothes she had and whatever was hers. Thankfully, it all fit into the one luggage she had. She went out as quickly as possible to the nearest bank - walking. She would need to save gas for the trip - and grabbed the allotted cash she'd need for the last few months of her lease. Honestly, she prayed her landlord would let her go easily. Even if she hadn't planned on going to Fablebrooke, she was just waiting to be free of this landlord who liked to make lewd comments whenever she passed by.

Thankfully, after some choice words of convincing and the bribe of so much cash at once, he did indeed free her from her lease - though not without making one last comment about how he'd "miss that ass" as she turned to walk away.

Good riddance.

With everything in order - for once - she stood in front of the driver's door of her yellow buggy and just stared at it. It was suddenly so easy. Years had passed and now she was just… just going to go see her kids? As if their location hadn't been withheld from her. Af it it'd always been this easy.

Getting into the car, Jinora took a deep breath. Spirits… how she loved and hated this buggy all the same. It had so many memories. _Too_ many memories. She could never bring herself to get rid of it because of all the damn feelings she had gone through in here. So much of her life had happened in this car. At one point, she and… she and her kid's father had lived in here with nowhere else to go. A little stolen yellow buggy had been their home and yet… she'd been happy with it.

She nearly growled.

Nevermind that. No distractions. She had her kids to go see and her brain couldn't be off in lala land while on the road.

With a last determined flex of her hands on the steering wheel, she drove off.

-:-:-:-

 _Present day, Fablebrooke_

Years of nothing but memories were going to pay off. Nima just knew it.

She was going through her family's pictures, as she always did before bed, on her little tablet she always carried around. Memories so precious, they were what kept the twins from forgetting who their mom was. After all, they were only two when the government people came to take them away. She herself had been seven years old so she remembered everything. Her mom, her dad, the house they used to live in… the twins just couldn't forget that. They wouldn't have been able to remember their dad - he'd gone away right after she started school and the twins were only little babies - but she refused to allow them to forget their mom.

And thank the spirits, she had kept so many videos and pictures that they could and did watch every day. She remembered the first night after they'd been taken away. Rama was crying because he couldn't find Mama and Taani was having a small panic attack on the inside even if her face didn't show it. That night, even she had been crying herself. Still crying even though she'd been crying all day already.

But those videos had been what stopped the tears. The videos and the pictures kept them comforted even if their mom couldn't be right there with them. The twins would point at the screen whenever they saw her and say "mama." So Nima kept showing them. Mom would wave from the screen in the videos and it would make the smile and they would wave back.

Every day she made sure they watched them. Every single day. And every day of the same videos and pictures made it so that the twins seemed to have a fairly fresh memory of who their mom was even if it'd been three years since they last saw her. Mom was still a familiar face and they still had memories from their two year old days. They never forgot and now it was all about to pay off because their mom was _coming_ here.

Years of memories, tears, hope… it was all enough.

She had just shown the twins their video for the night after she'd tucked them into bed. Their favorite was the one their mom had recorded one night when she couldn't come home because it was snowing really hard and it was already dark. Daddy had taken out his laptop and showed it to them. Mom sang a little lullaby to them, said something to each of them and would wave and blow kisses at them. The twins always waved back, sometimes hummed the song as she sang and would blow kisses back. It was the perfect video with all the love in it.

In her own bed and unable to sleep, she flipped through the pictures until her eyelids got heavy. Just as she was about to put the tablet down and curl into the blankets, a little red number went off on the side of the screen. She tapped the number and nearly dropped the tablet on her face when it said "From: Jinora Gyatso."

The email was short, but oh god it was enough. Her mom said she was coming. She said she was coming _tomorrow_. Nima would get up tomorrow early and tell the twins so they could get ready and email her mom back. Because her mom was coming for them. It was a statement she couldn't quit thinking about over and over again. She was going to _be in Fablebrooke_ and Nima was going to get to hug her again after being literally torn away from her three whole years ago. The twins were never going to forget her.

It was a struggle to realize and contain the excitement that it wasn't just going to be memories anymore. Not just hope that sometimes was replaced with fear when they were feeling sad. This was going to be the _best_ back to school present ever and the twins had just turned five so… she nearly squealed at the thought that Mom could take them to school for the first time just like she had done when Daddy was still with them. Nima had always hated school for the most part, but this would make it okay. Better even.

I can hug her again, thought Nima as she felt herself drift off. I know she'll be happy to see us…

Closing her eyes finally, Nima smiled. She couldn't wait to tell her friend everything that was happening.

Their mom was coming to save them.

* * *

Just to be clear, this fic was written by myself as well as spiritpowers (who is both here and on tumblr). She and I wrote good equal parts of this fic (we have over 100 pages written right now) and so I wanted to make that very clear that credit goes to both of us.

Since this is co-written I don't want to be making too many comments, but reviews are always really appreciated and we each really love seeing them! They really keep the spirits up while we're writing and keep up writing those chapters! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	2. Fablebrooke

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

This fic was co-written by kuno-chan and spiritypowers

* * *

 **Fablebrooke**

* * *

 _18 years ago, the Enchanted Forest_

The storm rumbled angrily outside the palace walls, and shouting and the clanging of spears and swords were heard from the lower floor. It was five o'clock at the latest, but that storm, that storm of swirling dark clouds and wailing winds covered the sun's light like a flame being snuffed out.

A soft whimper was barely audible through the chaos, and Tenzin turned to see his wife and his eldest daughter, the latter clutching her mother's hand.

"Daddy, they're here," the young girl said, her small tiara askew atop her messy brown hair.

"I know," Tenzin said gravely. "Stay close to me and your mother, okay?" Jinora was the crown princess, studious, and usually very quiet, almost like she was now. Only now, there was a fear behind her silence, a fear that shouldn't have been an option after they overthrew the Evil Emperor.

Tenzin almost felt foolish for sparing his life all those years ago, just to have him escape and tear away all he and Pema had worked so hard for. All he held dear.

He'd been forced to send his other children away, with his older siblings, who had abdicated rights to the throne before him. He'd once secretly scorned the way they could never seem to stay in one place at one time, but now he was grateful for it, as the Evil Emperor's forces wouldn't be able to track them down. At least Ikki, Meelo, and baby Rohan were safe.

He looked back at his eldest daughter, now saddled with the responsibility to save them all, someday. Why the universe had decided to make his little girl their kingdom's Savior, he wasn't sure.

"You know what to do when we get down to the room where the enchanted wardrobe is?"

Jinora nodded wordlessly, tightening her grip on her mother's hand. Tenzin guided his family through the back door of the room, swiftly and silently descending through a hidden row of stairs down to the cellar, a once joyful space for the children to play. Now, instead of laughter, the walls echoed the frantic tapping of their heels on the floor as they rushed to get to the other side of the room to a small wardrobe, cut straight out of the trunk of a very old tree, the curve of its doorway smooth against the tree's bark surface. Tenzin made a mental note to tell the palace woodcarver again just how lovely it was once this was all over.

They just had to get their eldest daughter in through that door first.

A scream and the clanging of metal against the stone floor made him halt in his steps, and he turned to see Pema and Jinora dodge the slash of a sword in the nick of time. Damn that other door from the parlor.

One of the most defining traits he and his father were known for in the Enchanted Forest was their unwillingness to fight. He'd learned that from the late King Aang; never strike first. Only unsheath your sword when you're not given any other choice.

His late mother, Queen Katara, hadn't always been so quick to agree with their unconditional pacifism. One thing she had managed to pass down to her children, though, was a fierce protectiveness of her family.

His family was being threatened. Tenzin really didn't have any other choice.

In the span of about five seconds, Tenzin unsheathed his sword, set it hard against the masked man's blade, and yelled over his shoulder, over the screech of metal against metal, for Jinora to run.

More of the Evil Emperor's men were flooding in, their red and black masks blurring together as he deflected blow after blow, and caught Pema out of the corner of his eye disarming one with a before-concealed dagger.

They could _not_ get to the wardrobe or to his daugher.

After what felt like an eternity of clanging metal and blade scratching against blade, Tenzin couldn't help but look over his shoulder to where he knew the wardrobe was. His heart rate spiked as he watched Jinora dodge a blow from one of the men closer to her, who had seen her and given chase. The masked soldier - smaller than the others, Tenzin noticed in the struggle, they must have been new - was only inches away from his daughter, and he nearly let out a cry before Jinora opened the wardrobe door and shoved herself in, slamming the wooden door shut behind her.

Tenzin absentmindedly deflected another blow, anxiety bubbling to the surface as the soldier flung the wooden door open.

The wardrobe was empty.

Tenzin breathed out a long exhalation, relief washing over him before a different sensation flooded his senses: pain.

It was a sharp pain at first, right in his side, before dulling into a throbbing ache that seemed to spread to every part of his body. He heard the distant, muffled sound of his wife screaming, and the screeching sound of clashing swords died down into a dull roar as he collapsed to the ground.

She was safe. His daughter was safe, and she could save them now.

The world grew fuzzy as the purple storm clouds of the curse snaked in through the cracks of the walls, consuming his entire world. He heard the strangled cries of the Evil Emperor's soldiers and Pema's crying, but even those noises faded as his world grew a dark, dark purple.

The very last thing he heard was his name, and he felt Pema's fingers brush against his shaven head as she rested it on her lap. Her face was blurry and unfocused, but he tried to make out her features anyway, and reached out for her hand. She took his, and he held it weakly, staring up into the hazy image of his queen, of his snow white beauty. Purple and white were the last things he remembered coloring his world, which slowly slipped out of his fingers, just like Pema's hand.

And then it went black.

 _Present day, Fablebrooke_

The next morning, Nima almost sprang out of bed. Sleep hadn't come easy last night anyway, so, she was wide awake. She got up and trotted to the twin's room down the hall, scurrying over to the bunk bed on the other side of the room.

Slowly, she climbed up to the top bunk and nudged Rama awake, his long hair a bit of a mess that she was going to have to help him brush.

"Psst. _Psst._ " Nima nudged him some more, speaking in a quiet voice. "Rama, time to get up."

Half asleep, he let out a whine, waving her away before turning over under his sheets.

"Get _up_. I gotta go to school and you need to get to the babysitter."

"Five more minutes," mumbled Rama, drawing the covers tighter around him.

"And then after school we get to see Mom."

He opened one eye and looked at her, and Nima knew she'd gotten his attention.

"Now get _up_ ," she repeated, giving him one last nudge to the leg before climbing down to the bottom bunk. While Rama shuffled in the bunk above, the rustling of his racecar-covered comforter assuring her that he wasn't just going back to sleep, she took a few moments to look at her little sister, her face peaceful in sleep. Her breathing was slow and soft, her mouth in a straight line, just as it almost always was.

She squeezed Taani's shoulder gently, her nudges to wake up much more gentle as Taani's eyes fluttered open.

"You need to wake up now," said Nima. Taani didn't respond; she simply stared up at Nima for a few moments with blank grey eyes, before slowly sitting up and sliding out of her bed, walking past Nima to the clothes set out for her on the dresser.

Once both the twins were out of bed, Nima rushed back to her own room, rummaging through her drawers for her comfiest jeans and her lucky t-shirt, quickly replacing her cat-covered white pajamas with the chosen school clothes before rushing out of her room and down the stairs to the dining room.

The sizzling of tofu scramble and clinking of a metal spatula against an iron skillet greeted her before her legal guardian even looked up from his handiwork, and Nima entered cautiously, slipping into her seat at the large breakfast table. Even after a year of living in the house, she had yet to get used to there being a separate table for breakfast. China plates with intricate designs of wildflowers painted along the rim were already set out, and elegant glasses with matching flower embossments were already filled with lychee juice.

And then her legal guardian - she really wasn't sure what else to call him, _uncle_ still felt too casual, _Mr._ was too formal after almost a year, and _Dad_ was just _wrong_ \- turned to her, and gave her a gentle smile. Nima returned it nervously in response.

He was tall, almost stiff in how straight his back was all the time, his black hair hanging in a shaggy mess over his ears and around his face. He wasn't quite what Nima could consider elderly, though the deep lines forming along the corners of his eyes and around his mouth betrayed the fact that he was just past what could be technically considered middle-aged. His skin was fair, almost fairer than her mother's, even lighter against his dark hair that somehow hadn't started greying quite yet.

His most defining feature, however, was the burn scar across his left eye, a pink rawness over his forehead and all the way down to his cheek where it had healed in his youth and now kept his left eye perpetually half-closed. He had no eyebrow on that side of his face either, and the darkest part of the scar was almost a deep red around the actual eye area.

She didn't know where he'd gotten it from and she never asked. To be fair, she was almost too afraid to ask. Not so much out of politeness, but out of a strange understanding of her own that it was too simply too personal.

"Good morning, Nima," he said, his voice soft. It was almost eerie, how soft-spoken and gentle he was, almost the opposite of everything she'd read about him in her storybook.

"Morning, Zuko," she replied, her smile strained.

He turned to empty the pan into a serving plate, and walked over to the breakfast table, placing the warm plate of tofu scramble in the middle. When Nima simply stared at it for a moment, Zuko almost grew bashful.

"Sorry, did you just want your regular cereal?" He left to rummage through the cabinets for the same sugary-sweet fare Nima always had, and quickly took out three bowls -matching the plates - and rushed over to the refrigerator for soymilk.

"Oh, this is fine," said Nima. "I just...this is really fancy for breakfast?"

Zuko set out the bowls, soymilk, and cereal on the table and sat down across from her. "I didn't mean to make it like that, I just thought we could have a special breakfast today. To celebrate your mom coming."

"Oh. Thanks," Nima said, pouring some cereal into her bowl and spooning some of the tofu scramble onto her plate. "And, um, you're okay with her being here? In this town?"

"Of course," Zuko said with a gentle smile. "You clearly love her, and it'll be nice to have her back in your life again, won't it?"

He still doesn't know who she is, Nima noted briefly, and she forced another smile. "Right. Also, you don't have to put the tofu away. I'm still going to eat it. The twins' too if they don't want it."

-:-:-:-

Fablebrooke: 5 miles ahead, said the sign.

Jinora sucked in a breath.

Her babies were five miles away. After driving nearly eight hours - she supposed that counted as a few - she was nearly there. Republic City was left behind and deeper into forest she drove. From the looks of it, Fablebrooke was probably a small town? She'd never heard of the place, but apparently it was out of the ways of the city and closer to the countryside.

Trees towered higher and higher over her as she drove past, the trim sidewalk shrubbery of the city having given way to twisting branches and thick leaves long ago. The sky was grey, the roads glistening from rainfall. A splash of rainwater splattered onto her window as she drove through a puddle and she carried on, her breath hitching when she approached a sign that read, _Welcome to Fablebrooke_.

Her eyes followed a line from the sign to four figures standing by the side of the road, and her heart stopped as she slammed on the brake. Standing just near the sign, taller than she remembered but still so unmistakeable, were her children, huddled together in warm sweaters. Nima held a cardboard sign that read, " _Welcome Home, Mom!"_ with one hand and waved wildly with the other. Rama - good grief, his hair looked longer in person, Jinora would really have to talk to their guardian about that - was also waving, albeit more shyly, and it broke her heart when she remembered how young he was when they were taken away from her. Taani was not waving, but she looked at the buggy with unblinking focus.

Jinora couldn't have gotten out of the car fast enough.

Barely taking a moment to really look at whoever their legal guardian was - she'd talk to him later, she was sure - she nearly lunged towards her children and enveloped them all in a hug as big as her arms would wrap around them. A moment of fear grabbed her when she realized that they might not totally reciprocate, but that fear was lessened when she felt arms wrap around her back. Nima had her arms around her the tightest. She could feel the the twins too, their arms around her, one more tentatively than the other.

"Mommy?" That was Rama, his voice less shy than his hand wave. "Your hair got long."

Jinora's mouth fell open and she pulled back slowly, reluctantly, as if she were afraid to lose them again the second she took her arms from around them. Now, she peered down at their faces up close.

They're beautiful, she thought, her eyes stinging.

They looked healthy. They looked well-fed and nourished and… spirits, it really made Jinora want to cry. Her babies were being taken care of. It wasn't all she had asked for them in the last three years, but it was on the top of the list. The basic any mother would ask for. Love them. Take care of them.

Somebody had done that at least part of the way.

Rama's hair was longer now. Apparently, he _hadn't_ gotten over his no haircuts thing and it made Jinora smile looking at his little face. He smiled back.

"It is," she said, her voice weak. "It's even longer than yours."

He nodded matter-of-factly at her, almost approvingly.

She looked down at Taani, staring back blankly, seemingly sleepily, at her mother. Jinora bit her lip, still trying not to smile like crazy.

"Do you remember me, sweetie?" she asked.

Nodding, Taani actually pressed her head against Jinora's shoulder and just kind of nuzzled herself right there. Daring to take the chance, Jinora kissed the top of Taani's head and her heart did backflips when the girl just kept her head right where it was. Then, there was Nima. By the spirits, she was ten years old already. It was the same cat-like little face she remembered, a smiling mouth and smiling green eyes. Already Jinora could see her little girl budding into a beautiful little lady.

"Nima…" breathed Jinora, just staring in some sort of awe. Just twenty-four hours ago she had nearly given up that this day would ever come. "Baby, I missed you so much. _All of you_."

Nima beamed happily, nearly bouncing on the ball of her toes just standing there.

"Mommy, I missed you so much!" she squealed and threw her arms back around Jinora. Jinora caught her, daring to grin at her daughter's joy and tried not to think about the fact that her joy had been born first out of tears. Nima gestured to Rama and Taani. "Look, they remember you! Rama and Taani! They both remember you! See, they never forgot you!"

Now, that she thought about it…

Jinora looked down at her twin children. Rama and Taani had been two when child services came to take them away… how on earth did they remember her? From the way Rama was hugging her and Taani was resting her head on Jinora's shoulder, she wondered if that was even possible… she'd been so lost in her own happiness that they did she never cared to wonder _how_.

"I still have all of our movies and videos," said Nima hurriedly, hastily pulling out her tablet, a kind of nervous grin on her face. "See? See, I still have them and I show it to them every night and they never forgot. I made sure they never forgot!"

Jinora smiled, pulling all of her children into one last hug before, finally, letting go - it took everything in her to stifle the sigh of relief that threatened to escape her throat when they didn't disappear again - and then she stood up and was face to face with their legal guardian.

For one jarring moment, she finally noticed the burn scar covering the upper left portion of his face, before his general presence sank in and she was able to process his smile and return it.

"You must be Jinora," he said, extending a hand to her. His voice was soft and almost meek, and she took his hand, shaking it gently. He barely held it, and she was almost afraid of breaking him for a moment, despite his probably being not more than 60 years old. "It's so good to finally meet you. Nima talks so much about you."

Jinora smiled softly, her eyes flickering back to Nima for a moment as she replied, "It's good to meet you, too. It's Zuko, right?"

Something about Nima's smile was...off. Like it was painted or plastered on; far stiffer than her usual cat-like grin. Jinora tried to regulate the spike of panic that shot through her. She could have been misreading; she hadn't seen her daughter in three years, after all. And if Zuko really wasn't taking care of her babies, he wouldn't have gone through the trouble to allow them to reach out to her, right?

"Yes," Zuko said, taking a quick, affectionate glance at the kids. "So they have told you about me?"

"Just a little," Jinora said. "Everything happened pretty quickly. I just got their email last night."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I assumed you'd already arranged everything," Zuko said, looking somewhat fretful between Jinora and the kids. "Do you have a place to stay? You can stay in our house, the guest wing hasn't been used in a while -"

"-She can stay in my room!" Nima interrupted, taking Jinora's hand. "And the garage is big enough for the car. Come on!"

Before Jinora could even properly accept or deny the offer to stay in Zuko's house (he was practically a stranger, even if he was taking care of her children), Nima pulled her and the twins towards the buggy, and before she quite knew it, her children strapped in and Nima was chatting her ear off about the town.

It was almost like old times. Almost.

-:-:-:-

The town was, for lack of a better word, tiny. The air was crisp and had a hint of sea salt, the coastal weather brisk and briney. The roads were narrow, and hardly any traffic lights were put in place. Almost all the buildings had the same squat, square design, excluding a large library and a tall clock tower, which chimed out a deep, brassy song to indicate the hour's change.

Nima gasped at the sound, almost squealing, and Jinora couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she watched her daughter take such delight in something so simple, still very much the sweet, sunny girl she'd known three years ago. She swore she caught a look of confusion on Zuko's face in her periphery, but she brushed it off. Clock towers could be startling, anyway.

Nima had insisted on having them show Jinora around the center of town before going back to Zuko's house, starting with a little joint diner and tea shop called the Jasmine Dragon.

A bell tinkled as Nima pushed open the door to a small, cozy building with a deep green roof and a sign with the words "The Jasmine Dragon" painted in careful cursive. Booths of cushy red material lined the inside, and small, round tables were scattered around the area. At the front of the diner tea shop was an ordering booth where two waitresses were hustling in and out of the kitchen doors at breakneck speeds, and an old, stocky man with a sharp white beard and a warm smile stood. Two chalkboard menus were posted on the wall above him: one listing the usual diner fare, and the other listing an array of tea selections. Tall swivel chairs were placed along the front booth.

Nima tugged on Jinora's hand, guiding her to the ordering booth. The twins and Zuko followed, and the old man's smile widened as they approached him.

"Uncle Iroh!" Nima chirped, climbing up into a chair. Jinora helped Taani and Rama into the seats other either side of her before taking a seat herself, as Zuko took a seat next to Nima.

"Hello, Nima," the old man - Iroh - said, his voice warm and pleasantly rough with age. "I see you've convinced my nephew to finally take a break from being mayor long enough to visit his uncle."

"Yeah," she said, but she tugged on her mother's hand. "Uncle Iroh this is my mom. Mom, this is Uncle Iroh. He makes the best tea."

"Oh, what sweet words," said Iroh bashfully. He then looked at Jinora with raised brows. "Did you say mother?"

Smiling shyly, Jinora nodded and waved a hand.

"Hi, I'm Jinora. I'm the kid's mother," she said, smiling sheepishly at her redundancy. "...but you already know that."

"I'm so glad you could join us," Iroh said warmly. "Nima here talks about you all the time."

"So I've heard," Jinora smiled warmly. "I'm happy to hear that."

She was grateful that nobody had yet asked what happened. Maybe they knew. Maybe they didn't, but either was she was still happy they hadn't asked. Quite frankly, she didn't feel like telling the story. Ever.

"Uncle, Miss Jinora here has had a pretty long drive," said Zuko, sitting down next to the twins. "Perhaps you can give her some of your best tea?"

"Of course, of course," said Iroh. "What would you like Jinora?"

"Oh, um…" She wanted to say that she didn't need any, but truth be told she was actually a little parched from the lack of stops in the past couple hours. "...Ginseng? If it's not too much trouble?"

"Coming right up. It's on the house." He brought his hand up to wave her off when she opened her mouth to protest. "No, I insist. Consider it a welcoming gift."

Iroh smiled kindly at her and she nodded back gratefully.

"Thank you."

Jinora sensed another person taking a seat beside her and didn't think much of it at first, as she let Nima talk more about the town and waited on the tea, easing into the comfort of finally being with her children.

"Hey, do you know how to get up to the clock tower?"

It took a moment for it to register that the stranger beside her was talking to her, and she turned to the person to reply that, sorry, she wasn't from this town, when she was struck by how familiar the stranger looked. Something about his dark, shaggy, shoulder-length hair and flat nose brought back hazy memories that she couldn't quite place, almost like a dream.

"Skoochy! I didn't see you there!" Nima exclaimed, and Jinora turned back to her in surprise. Where had she heard that name before?

"Oh, hey kid," Skoochy said with a small, tired smile. "Long time no see."

"This is my mom," Nima said, beaming. "She's not from here, but I can tell you that you can go into the clock tower from the back of the library. Why do you wanna go up there anyway?"

"Oh, just...noticed something new," Skoochy said. "It's nice to meet you, Miss…?"

"Jinora," she said slowly. "I'm sorry, I- Have we met before?"

"...Maybe. I don't know," Skoochy said sheepishly. "I meet a lot of people. Again," he said, slipping out of his swivel chair, "it's nice to finally meet you. And good to see you as always, Nima, Rama, Taani. Mayor Kasai."

"Did you bring me back a trip present?" Rama piped up before Skoochy could leave. He laughed and handed Rama a bright red stone, clearly not from anywhere nearby. Rama stared at it with wide eyes before spouting a "Thank you!" as Skoochy walked out the door.

"He's a freelance writer," Nima clarified for her mom. "He comes and goes a lot but never really stays because of all the traveling he does. He's kinda quiet but he's nice to us, so…" She shrugged. "How'd you know him?"

"I'm not sure I do," Jinora said thoughtfully. Then, her ginseng tea arrived, and Nima was talking about the town and its assortment of inhabitants once more.

It was probably nothing, Jinora decided, content to push aside any thought that took her out of the time she had been given with her kids.

-:-:-:-

"The library's the only big thing in Fablebrooke, but I think you'll like it," Nima said, pulling Jinora along. "And I remember that you liked reading a lot! We can even see if it has that book you always read to us at bedtime. You know, the one Dad used to do the voices for?"

Jinora nodded and gave her daughter a strained smile, the mention of the children's father putting her off guard for a moment. It really shouldn't have bothered her at this point, she thought, but the way memories of deep green eyes and warm brown skin and crooked smiles always invaded her memory at the mention of him was always disarming, and she didn't realize the extent of it till she ran straight into a woman going the opposite way, causing her to drop the large brown bag of groceries she had been carrying.

"Sorry Miss Hee!" Nima squeaked as Jinora dropped to her knees to help the woman gather her groceries back into the bag.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you-"

"No, it's my fault, I should have been watching where I was going-"

Jinora looked up at the woman she'd crashed into, handing her the last of her cans as they both stood back up. Strands of her dark brown hair framed her face, falling out of her loose, messy bun.

"Oh, I haven't seen you around before," the woman said, smiling warmly. "I'm Pema Hee."

"My teacher," Nima said, taking Jinora's hand. "And this is my mom!"

Pema's green eyes brightened. "Oh, it's so nice to meet you!" Her large brown paper bag shifted in her arms and Pema smiled bashfully. "I'd shake your hand, but mine are full."

"It's fine," Jinora said. "It's good to meet you, too-"

"Mooom," Nima whined, tugging at her hand. "The library?"

"I shouldn't keep you," Pema said, nodding in understanding. "You probably have a lot of catching up to do, but I look forward to seeing you around!"

"You too," Jinora answered weakly as Pema continued on her way.

Nima took Taani and Rama's hands and nodded towards Jinora and Zuko to follow them. "Come on, Mom!"

Jinora laughed as they followed the kids, but her smile faltered as she turned to Zuko and asked after a moment, "Is she still having trouble in school?"

Zuko nodded sadly. "She's been doing better in Pema's class, but otherwise…"

Jinora sighed. Of course. There was so much she'd have to catch up on, including making sure Nima got caught up and that Taani get to a doctor if Zuko hadn't already taken her to one.

But that was why she was here. To do everything she hadn't been able to to before. To fix her mistakes, as much as she could.

-:-:-:-

 _Present Day, Republic City_

The sun was setting over the expanse of skyscrapers when Kai's phone rang on the table. He pinched the bridge of his nose, dreading another call from work, or worse, from someone wanting him to pull another mini-heist. He just wanted to rest, and maybe get a piece of that cake he'd picked up a day before to celebrate a birthday.

Not that he'd seen the celebrant in five years, but he couldn't ever forget her if he tried. Not that he ever wanted to.

He picked up his phone and swiped right to answer, bringing it up to the side of his face. "Hello, who is this?" he said in a voice he hoped didn't sound as tired as he felt.

"The Savior is in Fablebrooke."

Kai's heart stopped. "...What did you just say?"

"The Savior is in Fablebrooke. You don't have to stay away anymore." With that, the person on the other end hung up with a click.

Kai had barely taken the time to process the moment when he started throwing clothes into a suitcase, still reeling from the fact that the call he'd been waiting five years to receive had finally come.

His family was finally in Fablebrooke, and he wasn't going to be without them for a moment longer than he had to.

* * *

And the plot thickens! We can't wait for you guys to read the coming chapters because it's going to get real (and real emotional).

Reviews are always really appreciated and we each really love seeing them! They really keep the spirits up while we're writing and keep up writing those chapters! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	3. The Mayor's House

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

This fic was co-written by kuno-chan and spiritypowers

* * *

 **The Mayor's House  
**

* * *

 _18 years ago, a forest outside Republic City_

Skoochy felt absolutely horrible, and not just because he'd been transported to a completely different realm.

His adopted father had known the enchanted wardrobe could transport two people. The Lion Turtle that had warned them of the coming curse had told his adopted father, a woodcarver named Sud, that the wardrobe was meant to carry the queen and her daughter to this realm.

Not some orphan kid with a penchant for fibbing.

But what was done was done, and he'd been sent in through the wardrobe with the promise to take care of the princess coming in after him.

The Savior, they all called her.

He took a deep breath, unsure of how much to explain to the princess once she arrived. The Lion Turtle had said that only the first arrival would retain their memories - an effect of the dying light magic in the Enchanted Forest, or something to that effect - but just how _much_ would this princess forget? Would she remember anything about the Enchanted Forest, or her parents?

The tree he'd come out of flashed a bright yellow, and a girl in a yellow gown stumbled out of the hollow, holding the side of her head. Skoochy immediately helped her up, then wondered if he should have bowed.

"Where am I?" she asked groggily.

"Do you...remember anything?"

"I…" She stared at the ground for a moment, her eyes widening in bewilderment as she shook her head slowly.

"Not even your name? Or where you're from?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head again.

"Your name is Jinora Gyatso," said Skoochy, nearly forgetting to omit her title. "It's kind of hard to explain where you're from, but you're here now, and you're gonna do something very important someday. But I'll stick with you till then."

The princess - just another little girl in this world now, he supposed - eyed him suspiciously, so he leaned down to her eye level, trying to give her the most reassuring smile he could.

"It's okay. Just...think of me as your temporary big brother."

Jinora tilted her head at him, still confused, but less cautious as she nodded and managed a small smile, seeming to like this idea. "Okay."

"Now, come on," said Skoochy, beckoning her to follow him. "We'll find someone to help us figure out what to do in this realm."

Jinora nodded, before following, and Skoochy tried to push away the dread pooling in his gut.

He didn't want this. He didn't want the responsibility of guiding the Savior through an unfamiliar world, he didn't want the world he knew to be indirectly in his hands.

But it was. It was, and he had no idea how he was gonna get out of it now.

 _Present day, Fablebrooke_

"Mama, Nima's been talking to you all day," grumped Rama, frowning at her. "I know how to talk too."

Peeking around at her brother, Nima glared a little, but she quickly tugged on her mother's hand as they walked down the town mainstreet. The library door had been locked - apparently, its hours of availability were sporadic, given that the town had no librarian - and they'd elected to try another day.

"Tell her about going to school," said Nima finally, actually beginning to smile. "What grade are you going to be in."

"Kindergarten," piped up Rama, grateful to have been given talking time with his mother. "Whatever that means."

Jinora chuckled and smiled broadly at him.

"Oh my goodness, you're going to be kindergarten?" she asked, genuinely excited. "That's wonderful, baby. You and Taani are going to love school."

Rama shook his head.

" _I_ will, but Taani's scared."

Jinora's raised her eyebrows slightly. Taani hadn't said a word since Jinora arrived. From the sounds of it… that was normal. And _that_ worried her.

Looking down at her youngest baby, Jinora smiled gently.

"Baby, are you scared to go to school?"

Taani nodded.

"How come?"

To that, Taani only shook her head. Jinora didn't push her, figuring that was Taani's own way of trying to answer her questions. Instead, Jinora only nodded back. She didn't say anything for a moment, but an idea immediately popped into her head.

"Would you… like me to take you to your first day of school? Would that help?"

"Ooh! Can you do that?" asked Nima, grinning and Rama looked up at her expectantly.

Immediately, Taani also nodded and Jinora felt her heart swell. Her babies still wanted her to do those things and she wouldn't miss the twins going to school for the first time.

"The school's not far from the library," Zuko offered. "You could stay around that area and check in on the kids as much as you want."

Jinora looked up at Zuko with an overwhelming sense of relief, grateful that this man seemed to want her children to have their mother in their lives.

"You should! And you'll really like the library. We haven't had a librarian in years so hardly anyone uses it anymore. You still like reading, right Mom?" Nima asked. Jinora smiled softly.

"Yeah. I do."

On the drive to her children's home, they passed by several buildings, including the library, the school and a few other places Jinora made sure to remember. She was going to be staying here as permanently as she needed to be for her children. Finally, they arrived at what was apparently Zuko's house. A... very large house indeed.

It gleamed an eggshell white, almost emanating its own light in Fablebrooke's dreary weather. Pillars of whitewashed stone lined the front, and the edges of the roof curved up to the sky, reminiscent of the ancient pagodas of the early Fire Nation. Large windows were spaced out along its walls, and one especially big window of different patches of various shades of grey glass was centered at what looked like a third floor, and Jinora wondered what kind of beautiful stained glass portrait it made on the inside.

It was Nima tugging on her arm that brought Jinora out of her stunned state. "Come on, Mom!" she laughed, and Jinora allowed herself to be pulled along as Zuko unlocked a tall door with a golden knocker in the center near the top, shaped like a dragon's head. It opened with ease, and Jinora might not have dared to enter something so lavish if Nima hadn't pulled her in immediately.

She had never been into such a nice house. At least, she had never been welcomed into such a nice house. This… was where her children were living? Of course she was happy for them and it was what she would have loved for them to to live in anyway given the choice, but it still made her… uneasy. There were horror stories about rich people and she was trying not to wonder but...

She was starting to pray that forced smile of Nima's was not so forced.

"Mama, come on! We'll show you our rooms!"

Jinora let her children pull her along upstairs and was pleased to find clean, spacious rooms with toys and things for them to entertain themselves with. Nice, soft beds for their little heads to lay on. Nima had a little desk to herself with a computer and the twins weren't separated. All seemed to be in order.

Her children rattled off to her about their current belongings and state of things. Even Taani tugged Jinora over to her stuffed animal collection to which she Jinora patted each fluffy head in acknowledgment.

Rama wanted to show his mother all of his books. He wasn't in school yet, but he could already read and Jinora promised that he could read to her before bed that night. Then, she would read _him_ a bedtime story.

Nima took Jinora and showed some of the most recent dance moves she'd been practicing. Jinora's eyes widened when she nearly had done a complete splits, Nima assuring her it had taken her months even to get to there.

Overall, it was a day spent running around the house, this child showing her this thing and that, but Jinora loved it all. She was exhausted, but it was a wonderful kind of exhausted where you knew that it was a day well spent. Far more than well spent. It was just spent… fantastically. Three years and she finally has time to catch up with her children. Time to hug them and kiss them and love them like she should have in the time she was gone, but couldn't. Every little gesture of affection was worth more to her than all the money in the world.

She had them and she was never letting them go.

That night, Jinora had wandered into the kitchen before dinner searching for Nima only to find her cutting vegetables with Zuko. In perfect honesty, Jinora wanted to take the knife away from her, but fought down the urge witnessing how at ease Zuko seemed next to her. Instead, Jinora carefully walked up next to her daughter and put a gentle hand on her back.

"What are you making, sweetheart?" asked Jinora.

"Soup," said Nima, putting her cut vegetables into a bowl. "We're making veggie soup tonight since it looks like it's gonna rain."

"Oh, that sounds delicious." Jinora smiled though the smile nearly faltered when she decided on her next question. "So… do you still only eat vegetables?"

While it wouldn't be a huge deal, Jinora would have greatly preferred her children staying vegetarians. She knew that the three years could have changed them a lot and she hated the fact that she had to ask these kinds of questions, but she also had to know.

Nima nodded, smiling.

"Mm-hm! We don't eat meat! Just like we used to."

"We?" asked Jinora. As in the twins as well?

"The twins don't eat meat," clarified Nima. "I never let them eat meat. They get sick."

Beside Nima, Zuko had the last small stack of vegetables on his cutting board and was moving to pour them into a pot.

"Thank you, Nima. You've been a big help," he said. "Now, why don't you go see what your brother and sister are doing? Your mother and I can watch over the soup from here on out."

Nima looked at Jinora, hesitating, and Jinora smiled, kissing her daughter's temple.

"Go," she said quietly. "Go play with Rama and Taani. I'll be there shortly."

Still somewhat reluctant, Nima glanced between Zuko and her mother as she left the kitchen. Leaning against the kitchen counter, Jinora watched Zuko's back as he began stirring the pot with a wooden spoon, adding various spices and ingredients as he did. Here was the man who was taking care of her children. Who was the cornerstone of their stability. A complete stranger to herself and Jinora bit her lip. That was her own fault. Or rather, it was mostly her fault. Their father had a good hand in this as well.

"So, Zuko… Mr. Zuko?"

"Zuko is fine," he said quietly. "No need to be so formal."

"Er… Zuko. So, the man at the tea shop, Iroh… he mentioned you were mayor?"

Zuko turned around slightly and flashed a smile.

"Yes. Publically, I'm Mayor Kasai, but you can call me Zuko. The children do. As does my uncle. I don't see why it should be so different for you," he said. "I take it you're curious about me?"

Jinora nodded, less sheepishly as she might have a few hours ago.

"I don't mean to be rude. It's just that-"

"I understand." Zuko waved her off. "You just met me today, yet, I take care of your children. It's understandable. Ask anything."

"Thank you," said Jinora gratefully. "Well… I guess I really need to ask it. Do they eat enough here? I mean, are the comfortable enough that they'll eat?"

"Indeed they are. In fact, Nima eats quite a bit. My grocery bills have gone up slightly. Not that I mind at all. There is always food in this house for them. Rama is very partial to seaweed I found, however. He's a suspicious little boy. Taani will eat just about anything as long as it isn't too spicy."

That was good. At least they were eating. It made Jinora smile a bit to think about Nima tucking away extra food into her belly. She hadn't changed much there. As for Rama, she could see that. Even as a baby, he was a little picky about his food whereas Taani just kind of passively accepted anything Jinora would feed her. Although, if she didn't like it, she wouldn't accept another taste of it.

Speaking of Taani...

"Okay, that's good. Thank you," she said, her thoughts drifting to her youngest child. "Have… have there been any _concerns_ with Taani? Anything you find strange?"

"All the time and not at all," he answered. "I've been very curious about her… state of things. I intended to take her to a doctor soon. The children all are due for a checkup anyway."

"Oh… okay… okay. I just wanted to know since she's heading into school," she said, trying not to sound so nervous. "It's going to be a brand new environment…"

Zuko half-glanced at her.

"Would you like to take her to the doctor?" asked Zuko. "I can make the appointment. Although they're very busy with school about to start. I was intending to it for a little bit later in the year. Is that alright?"

"It is," she said, nodding. "I would appreciate that. I just want her to be okay in school. She's already scared as it is apparently."

"I understand. Parents worry. It's expected," he said, moving to grab Nima's left behind bowl of vegetables. "Perhaps the children would like to wash? Dinner should be ready soon."

Leaving Zuko alone to finish dinner, Jinora went upstairs to get her kids and settle them down to eat. It wasn't like she minded living in Zuko's house, but if she was going to get _anywhere_ she couldn't just live in the guest wing of his house. She would have to get an apartment, get a job, pay rent… she was going to have to make a life here no matter how temporary it may be.

Fablebrooke was going to be home for a while. Rather, for as long as it took.

-:-:-:-

"I know, I just don't understand why the clock's moving. It hasn't moved in eighteen years and I don't know what this means for...any of us." Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand as the other kept his cellphone clamped to his ear. "Yes. Yes, the clock chimed - I know, it's not supposed to do that - dammit, I don't _know_!"

Zuko took a deep breath as the voice on the other side continued in a low, oily voice.

"This means the Savior is here. Looks like this little kingdom you've ripped out and made your own won't be yours for much longer." A bored sigh crackled into Zuko's ear. "I really would get on doing something about that if I were you."

"I still don't understand," Zuko said. "We haven't brought in anyone that we didn't plan on."

"Then maybe you let something slip through the cracks," came the other voice. "Or someone. Again, I'd get on finding out who that is as soon as possible. But, you know, your call."

"Just - look, it's been a busy day. I'll investigate later."

Unlike you, I have an actual life to maintain, Zuko added mentally as he hung up.

Why did the clock chime? The clock wasn't supposed to chime. Not unless the Savior was in town. And he had been careful about who to let into town, and of course none of its residents could get out, even if it had occurred to any of them to try to leave, which it wouldn't. Not in their curse-addled brains.

What was different?

Shaking his head, he stood up and went downstairs to make sure that they still had enough peanut butter. The kids wanted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch tomorrow.

-:-:-:-

Jinora was up the early the next morning. It was hard to get the kids to sleep in their own beds and, at the end of the day, Zuko just let them all sleep with her. In perfect honestly, Jinora wanted nothing more. After she had woken up, she'd been afraid for a moment that it had all just been a wonderful dream, too good to be true.

And then she'd felt the weight of Nima's head on her shoulder, Rama's head in the crook of her arm, and Taani curled up against her side, and had to keep herself from breathing out a loud sigh of relief.

For several minutes, she just laid there, listening to the slow, steady sounds of her children breathing.

She would say that she hadn't realized how much she'd missed this, but that would be an outright lie. Every night without them was a killer. And there had been no sleep the night they'd been taken away, Jinora just cried all day and night, staying awake and realizing she was all alone. No Kai. He was long gone for whatever reason. She had never even known why… then, no kids. _Their_ kids. _Her_ kids. Did he even care? He didn't know, but would he have cared even if he'd known? And were her babies okay? She knew they weren't happy at least that night. They screamed and cried when child services had come to take them.

Those thoughts felt so long ago. They kind of were, yet, she had them most days in the past three years.

Now, her children were quite nearly all laying on top of her. It was wonderful. Nevermind the fact they still weren't in her custody. Nevermind that they still lived in somebody else's house other than her own. They were right here with her in this moment.

Very slowly, she pushed herself off the bed, careful not to disturb the kids enough to wake them. She fluffed a few of the pillows around their heads quietly and carefully, before sliding off the bed, grabbing a change of clothes, and padding silently to the door, taking one last look at her children who were peaceful and smiling softly in sleep.

She'd missed watching her babies sleep.

Jinora pushed the door open slowly and tiptoed out, shutting it gently before making her way to the bathroom to change.

After a quick shower and changing, Jinora grabbed her keys on the way out. She looked for Zuko before leaving, searching the kitchen, living room and den first. Finally, she found him tending to a rather impressive apple tree planted in the middle of the large, gorgeous backyard.

"Er, Zuko…?" she piped up, quietly treading behind him.

He half turned when he heard her.

"Ah, Jinora," he smiled a little, turning back to the tree with a water pail. "Good morning. How are you?"

"Good," said Jinora, smiling. "It was nice waking up with the kids."

"I'm sure it was. Do we have any plans today?" he asked.

"Actually, that's why I'm here. I wanted to check out the town a little on my own. Just a little bit then I'll be back from breakfast."

"The children want to show you everything at the speed of light," chuckled Zuko. "Of course. I'll let them know. Don't worry."

"Thank you," said Jinora, grateful.

"Don't mention it," Zuko said with a soft smile. "Would you mind saying hello to my uncle for me if you stop by the Jasmine Dragon?"

"Of course," Jinora said with a smile and a firm nod before heading out the door.

The brisk morning air was cool on her face once she stepped outside, and she was glad she'd brought her one good coat with her as she walked through the chilly, empty streets to the center of town.

It was quiet uptown, empty except for a few elderly people walking slowly through the sidewalks, still looking drowsy in the dim morning light. Unable to stifle a yawn herself, she headed towards the Jasmine Dragon for a cup of black tea to wake her up, and to greet Iroh, as she'd promised. Besides, she might meet some people, or run into Skoochy or Pema again. If she was going to be staying in this town for a while, she might as well get to know its residents.

Still, out of habit, her mind's first desired destination was the library. Even as broke as she was, she always tried to leave a bit of money for herself in case she wanted to buy a book so desperately. In that case, libraries were her absolute best friend and many of her loneliest days after the kids were taken tended to be spent in the library. With no need to go straight home for anything, Jinora milled a lot of her time at any library she passed by in the city. As such, her natural curiosity took over when they'd passed this one yesterday.

The library looked much older up close than it had when she'd first entered town, as she began to notice cracks in the walls and moss lining the cracks in the door. She carefully placed her hand on the brass knob and turned it, almost surprised when the door easily swung open.

Right. It hadn't been visited or properly taken care of in a while. At least, Nima had mentioned something along those lines earlier. It was hard to keep track of everything she'd learned about the town the previous evening.

Jinora took a few careful steps in, closing the door gently behind her, and - oh.

The library almost seemed bigger on the inside. Shelves of books towered over her, and a spiraling staircase wrapped around the room, lining the walls. A few ladders were leaned against the shelves of the second story, and the mahogany shelves were stuffed with all kinds of books; old, new, tall, short, thick, thin, ranging every genre and time period she could imagine. She'd have to learn how this library organized its books, and the cobwebs and dust certainly needed to be removed, but the silver staircase and fine mahogany shelves, dark and probably glistening under all that dust, were like something out of a fantasy.

She could get used to this town.

Jinora's path weaved through each shelf, taking in every title with wonder and a little curiosity - it really looked like this library hadn't been properly organized in at least a decade - before she came across a worn first edition of an old historical fiction novel she'd loved as a teenager. She stood on her toes to reach it from the tall shelf, and it fell neatly into her hands, smearing dust across her fingers. She blew off as much dust as she could, then opened the copy, her eyes scanning over the familiar first sentence of the prologue.

If there was anything she'd loved when she was still in school, it was reading. Even if the other kids complained about having to do book reports or having assigned reading, Jinora had always loved it. She'd loved the escape stories brought, the way the words seemed to pop out of the page and come to life in her mind's eye. And she loved being able to reread old favorites - her second re-read was always the best - as if she was revisiting an old friend, or coming back to the home she'd never had.

"Excuse me?"

A voice startled Jinora out of the world she'd immersed herself in and she shut the book closed in surprise, looking up to see Pema in a hand-knit white sweater and a yellow cotton dress.

"Oh, sorry, I was told no one ever comes here-"

"You're fine," Pema chuckled, tucking away a loose strand of hair. "Actually, I've been coming in every so often to see how much maintenance the library will need. You've probably already noticed that there isn't really any kind of order to the way the books are shelved. I'm pretty sure we haven't had an actual librarian in the past ten years."

"Really? That's unfortunate," Jinora murmured, her eyes wandering over the shelves again. "It really is a lovely library."

"I've been wanting to try to take over, but I'm already so busy at the school, and it doesn't seem like anyone else is willing to take the job." Pema sighed. "It really is one of Fablebrooke's hidden gems. It's too bad no one's willing to polish it."

"It's funny, I actually wanted to be a librarian when I was younger," Jinora said absentmindedly, her fingers tracing the illustration on the cover of the book she held. "I wasn't able to buy books as a kid, so I always got library cards at the nearest library to the foster home I was placed in. I'm pretty sure I memorized nearly every shelving system imaginable," she chuckled.

"Really?" Pema tilted her head at her, looking her over for a moment, Jinora unassuming in her dark skinny jeans and oversized sweatshirt.

"Yeah," said Jinora, looking up and nodded bashfully. "I loved reading."

"What would you say to becoming Fablebrooke's new librarian?"

Jinora's mouth dropped open despite herself and Pema immediately backtracked, fearful of seeming too demanding right off the bat.

"I mean, I know you just came to town, and just to see your kids, but the offer stands if you want -"

"I'd love to," Jinora said immediately, a little embarrassed at how quickly she answered. "I mean, at least for as long as I'm staying, which I don't know at the moment, but since my kids seem pretty stable here…" She took a deep breath and then smiled. "When do I start?"

-:-:-:-

The town was small and out of the way, just like Skoochy had described it over the phone, but Kai managed to find the "Welcome to Fablebrooke" sign after a few hours of muddling through a convenience store map. He drove past the sign into the large parking lot just on the edge of town - clearly Fablebrooke was more pedestrian-friendly than anything, given its relatively small population he'd heard so much about - and followed the narrow road into the center of town, his eyes scanning the buildings with purpose. There was the library - Jinora probably loved this library already - the clock tower, singing the next hour in with each resounding chime, the school up ahead, the fishing shop, the school up ahead, and - there it was.

The Jasmine Dragon.

He walked in, a little self-conscious of his unfamiliar presence, but it subsided once his eyes settled on a man with shaggy shoulder-length hair and a dim brown jacket sitting at a booth. He walked over as casually as he could and slid into the booth chair opposite of him.

"Skoochy, right?"

The man nodded. "Good to see you again after all these years, Kai."

"You said my family's here," Kai said impatiently. "Can I see them yet?"

"You'll see them soon," Skoochy said. "It's a small town. Besides, I don't exactly control what they do and don't do." Skoochy slid out of the booth chair and gave Kai a short nod. "Enjoy your stay in Fablebrooke."

Kai gave him a stiff nod in reply, not bothering to see him leave as the door shut behind him with a jingle.

* * *

This chapter was a bit transitionary, but Jinora's getting to know the town and the inevitable reunion between Kai, Jinora and their children is being set up. Jinora's missed her babies so much and the plot is definitely going to thicken with each upcoming chapter!

As always, guys those reveiws are greatly appreciated! They really keep us writing and really keep us getting those chapters out! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	4. Fairy Tales

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

This fic is co-written by kuno-chan and spiritypowers.

* * *

 ** **Fairy Tales  
****

* * *

It had been fifteen minutes after the last hour's clock chime when Jinora was running back through the gate to Zuko's house, having lost track of time after discussing the details of what was tentatively her new job with Pema. She was grateful for the spare key Zuko had lent her for the time being when she arrived at the door and fumbled with the lock, before bursting through the door with beads of sweat forming along her forehead even in the chilly air.

The smell of pancakes wafted through the room as Jinora shut the door and kicked off her boots. She heard a rapid thumping racing toward her as she did and barely had time to turn when she felt something throw themselves at her. Looking down, Jinora's hand dropped to her daughter's head where Nima had her face buried in her mother's side. Nima was shaking and holding Jinora so tight that it almost hurt.

"Baby girl, what's-"

"Where did you go?" asked Nima, her face muffled in her mother's coat.

"Sweetheart, didn't Zuko tell you I was just looking around the town?"

Pulling back, Nima's eyes were wide and she nodded her head frantically, but almost as if she was still in a rapt state of panic deep inside her mind. The look almost scared Jinora, Nima's eyes wide as dinner plates and looking like a terrorized feline clinging to safety for dear, precious life. Instinctively, Jinora brought her hands to run through her daughter's hair.

"But why didn't you wake me up?" asked Nima in a kind of hurried, quavering speech. "Why didn't you just wake us up? Or take us with you? Why didn't you leave us a note? I didn't know where you were and Zuko told me, but I wasn't sure and I didn't know what to tell Rama and Taani and I wanted to know where you were and _I was going to come look for you and-_ "

"Ssh, ssh, ssh, hey." Jinora gently hushed Nima, cupping her face with both hands. "Hey, I'm right here, baby girl. I'm not going anywhere. I didn't run away. Mama just went to go look around a little bit, okay? Because I'm _staying_. And I even got a job at the library for now. The one you showed me?"

As if on cue, the twins came scurrying in, even little Taani's movement a little frantic.

"We were looking for you. Where'd you go?" Rama asked quickly, staring at her intently. Taani just kind of moved in for a hug and Jinora opened an arm so her babies could cuddle her as they felt the need to. Looking down at her children, Rama and Nima both looked just plain _scared_. Taani, whose face never changed from it's blank dreamer's stare, seemed stuck to Jinora like a burr on a fleece, not wanting to let go of her at all. It made Jinora very nervous. She left for a couple hours and the second they found out she'd done so they… basically panicked.

If anything though, it was _Nima's_ reaction that scared Jinora the most. It was natural for them to get a little scared, she reminded herself. After what they'd been through she knew they were probably scared she would disappear again. Jinora had been afraid they might just disappear out of her arms so she understood that.

But Nima was looking at Jinora like she'd seen the most terrible thing in the world. A look of nothing short of pure panic and terror.

"Okay, you three, it's okay… I'm here. Mama's not going anywhere. Mama even got a job at the library," she said soothingly, reaching out to smooth back Rama's hair. "Okay?"

All three of them nodded, silently. Nima let go very reluctantly, her fingers almost like claws digging into Jinora and her arms like a vice grip around her waist. Taani, however, seemed determined to stay attached, a hand in Jinora's.

"Did you guys eat breakfast already?" asked Jinora gently.

Rama shook his head.

"No, we were wondering where you were," he said.

"Okay, then. Let's go eat. Those pancakes smell delicious," said Jinora, smiling at them all. She ushered them along toward the kitchen.

"Thanks," said Nima automatically, walking beside her mother.

Jinora raised her eyebrows in question at the sudden comment.

"I made them," said Nima. "They've got chocolate chips in them. Taani likes those. But you weren't back yet when I was done so I was gonna go look for you."

They all sat down for breakfast, Jinora seating her children in and gone into the kitchen where Zuko was pulling out a bottle of syrup from the fridge. He looked up as he did and smiled a little. Silently, she walked up next to him where a tray of pancakes sat haphazardly laid on a delicate looking tray. A few of them, she noticed, were very burnt. She glanced at Zuko.

"She was very nervous," he explained quietly. "I normally just let her help, but she really needed something to do. Forgive me, I _did_ tell them where you went, but they weren't very satisfied with that."

"It's alright," Jinora smiled gratefully. "I should have left a note... or just woken them up. They were just so peaceful I wanted them to sleep in."

"It's going to take a while," said Zuko, grabbing a few glasses and a jug of milk after tucking the bottle of syrup securely under his arm. "Everything will be fine."

Grabbing the tray, Jinora spoke before she could stop herself.

"I… I would never leave them."

Zuko smiled sadly at her after a moment, slightly shaking his head.

"...they don't know that."

He didn't say it unkindly, but rather, firmly. And... he was right. _She_ knew that she would never leave her babies. But _they_ didn't know that.

When they settled into the table, Nima immediately took the most burnt pancakes on the plate for herself and slid over the tray so Rama and Taani could choose their own pancakes.

Jinora slid one pancake onto her plate, but found her appetite had left as she watched her children uneasily trying to slip back into whatever "normal" was for them, with strained smiles and forced table talk. Of course they didn't know she wouldn't leave. She had to be more thoughtful about making sure they knew from now on. She _would_ help them understand that she wasn't going to leave.

"Mommy you've got to eat more than one pancake," said Nima, looking at her mother's plate. "That's not enough."

Jinora smiled slightly, sliding one more pancake onto her plate. "Of course, baby. You did a great job."

Nima's smile grew a little more relaxed at the compliment, and Jinora caught one last look of sympathy from Zuko before they resumed their small talk over breakfast, commenting on the weather and further details on Jinora's new job at the library.

They'd be okay. Everything would be okay...right?

-:-:-:-

The next day, Jinora went to the library early that morning. This time, she stayed for breakfast and made sure her children saw and touched her before leaving, kissing them each as she told them exactly where she would be at and that she would be home before dinner. The twins seemed rather okay with it, but Nima fidgeted around nervously as she left.

"I'll only be gone for a few hours," said Jinora, getting down on one knee to be face to face with Nima. "I'm going to be with Miss Hee, okay? And if Zuko wants to bring you guys down a bit later then that's totally fine with me. I'll be right there… okay?"

Nima didn't say anything, but she nodded reluctantly.

"Okay. Why don't you practice that dance move you were telling me about?" suggested Jinora. "I would love to see it when I get home."

That made Nima smile.

"Okay," she said, her lips curving in that kitten-ish way that made Jinora grin. "I'll do that."

Giving her one last kiss on the cheek, Jinora left. When she got to the library, Pema was already at work with some of the books, taking out those simply and sadly too damaged to be of used, a small pile of books looking as if they'd been eaten at in a box.

"Morning," said Jinora as she slowly walked in.

"Oh, good morning!" Pema piped up, turning around with a book in her hand. "Wow, you really are an early riser, aren't you?"

Jinora grinned. "That'd be me. Always have been. Though you seem to be even earlier than me."

"I'm so used to it being a teacher and all," said Pema, smiling. "So, did you want to get started. I'm just pulling out some books we can't use, but I think our first order of business is to clean up this place. It's gorgeous, but it's also kind of a-"

"A dump?"

"You read my mind." Pema picked up a broom and duster. "Help me out?"

"That's what I'm here for."

For a while, they cleaned in different parts of the place and stayed relatively silent, music from a radio Pema had brought the only noise of comfort. After cleaning in some little spaces they finally reached the main area of traffic.

"So," began Pema as she reached up to dust a shelf. "Where are you from? If you don't mind me asking."

"No, it's okay," she said, looking up from her sweeping. "I'm from Republic City. Born and raised there as far as I know."

"Yeah? I was born and raised here myself."

"In this little town?" asked Jinora, smiling.

Pema beamed.

"Yup. Right here. I got a teaching degree from a university in the town over just so I could come back here. Luckily for me, they needed a grade school teacher and I've been here ever since. Well, I hardly ever left honestly."

"Must be nice," Jinora said, a little more to herself than Pema, "belonging to your own little community right off the bat."

"It sounds nice to be from a big city," Pema said, sighing wistfully. "I've never really been out there, but it's always sounded so exciting."

"More exciting for people who can afford to block the city out whenever they please," Jinora chuckled. "I honestly don't remember anything from before I was ten years old, and I was kind of passed around between foster homes in the city from then on."

"Mm, I see your point," Pema hummed sympathetically, and Jinora was getting ready to deflect her pity when, thankfully, she turned the subject away from her. "My parents retired out to the city back when I was still getting my degree, I think. I became a teacher pretty young, and Fablebrooke's a fairly easy town to find a place to stay. We're so small we can afford to pay one another in favors and produce, which I guess is one of the charms of small town life," Pema shrugged. "Although living with the same few hundred people for your entire life makes it kind of hard to meet people," she admitted bashfully. "Most women around my age here are already married, but… I guess it's just not happening for me yet." She smiled sadly as she swiped her duster over a lower shelf.

"Well, take it from the girl who got knocked up at eighteen: take your time," Jinora laughed feebly.

"Huh, I thought you looked awfully young to be the mother of a ten-year-old," Pema noted. "Would I be overstepping any bounds if I asked what the situation was with their father, or…?"

"Skipped town," Jinora replied a little more shortly than she meant to. "Same old teen mom story, really, even if he did stay long enough for us to have the twins." She sighed, fighting the tears that were beginning to sting at the corners of her eyes. "Not sure why I expected anything different, honestly," she added softly.

"I'm sorry," Pema said, and Jinora was a little relieved at the lack of pity in her voice; just regular sympathy. "Guys suck."

Jinora chuckled forcefully. "You're telling me. Anyway, at least I get to be with the kids now. That's all that really matters at this point in my life."

"It's great for them, too," Pema smiled. "Nima talks about you endlessly, you know."

Jinora's ears perked up. "She does?"

"Yeah, she holds on to all those videos and pictures of you for dear life. She's talked about the things you and...sorry, her father…used to do when she was little. She really cherishes those memories. She's also mentioned showing pictures and videos of you to her younger siblings. Keeping your memory has been really important to her."

Jinora smiled sadly. "I wish I'd been there so she wouldn't have had to. It was...hard, after their father left, and I didn't have time to get everything together before child services came, and...it was a mess."

"Well, I think what really matters is that you're here now," Pema said. "I don't claim to know anything about parenting, as I've never been a mother myself, but I can tell that you're doing your best. I think that has to count for something. And I think they know you're trying, and that matters more than any of us can say."

Tears of appreciation stung at her eyes this time, and Jinora looked up at Pema with a sincere smile. "Thank you."

Pema beamed back at her. "What are friends for?"

-:-:-:-

The response from the kids when Jinora got back was much more relaxed to her relief, even if they did cling to her for a little longer than she suspected was normal when they hugged her upon her arrival.

"I'm going to the grocery store to pick up some things," Zuko announced on his way towards the door. "and I'm going to have to take a detour to the Jasmine Dragon or else my uncle will definitely complain," he chuckled. "Jinora, are you okay with holding down the fort here?"

"Of course," said Jinora as Taani clung to her side. "We can even get started on lunch while we wait for you to get back."

"Only if you want," Zuko assured her, before giving them a final wave as he headed out the door.

Nima went to the window and watched Zuko leave, and Jinora looked at her curiously, not sure what to make of it when Nima grabbed Jinora's free hand and pulled her up the stairs to her room, the twins following close behind.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Jinora asked as Nima shut the door securely.

"Okay, we've got like an hour, so here's what you need to know," Nima said, and Jinora continued to give her eldest daughter a stunned look as she sat her down on the edge of the bed and pulled out a thick, leather bound book with the words "Once Upon A Time" embossed on the cover in gold.

"Oh, why didn't you have me read this before bed last night?" Jinora asked, but Nima cracked the book open and flipped a few pages to a minimalistic watercolor illustration of Snow White and Prince Charming.

"These are your parents," Nima said, pointing at the illustration. Jinora raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, you're going to have to let me in on what game we're playing because I've never heard of -"

"It's not a game," Nima said impatiently. "Everyone in Fablebrooke is from a place called the Enchanted Forest. Where the stories that we know as fairy tales are _real_. They were all sent here as a curse cast by the Evil Emperor and no one can get in or out, and none of the heroes get their happy ending."

Jinora almost laughed, but the unusually serious look on Nima's usually bright, smiling face kept her from it. She figured she might as well play along; after all, this was the first amount of alone time she was getting with her children.

She looked over at Rama and Taani. Even if Taani was still unreadable as ever, Rama's eyes were wide with conviction. "She's telling the truth, Mama," he said, and Taani nodded slowly.

"Um...okay," Jinora said, cautious with the way she responded. "And the book says that everyone was sent here?"

"At the end of the book, it ends when the curse is cast, and everyone is sent here." Nima flipped through several more pages to the end, where Snow White and Prince Charming were near the petite, lithe figure of a child. Nima pointed to that figure. "That's you."

Now, Jinora really had to bite back a laugh. She could see the likeness, even in its blurry watercolor - fair skin, dark hair, and Jinora had been very thin as a child - but how Nima had concocted all of this was beyond her.

"That's...me?" Jinora asked, trying very hard to keep her face serious.

Nima nodded firmly. "You're the child of Snow White and Prince Charming. You're the Savior that's supposed to break the curse on everyone in Fablebrooke."

"The _Savior_?" It was getting harder and harder not to laugh. "Okay, then...how would I break this curse?"

"I don't know," Nima shrugged. " _You're_ the Savior. That's for you to figure out."

Jinora stared at Nima for a few moments, not sure what to think. The kids clearly believed everything she'd just revealed. Was this some kind of coping mechanism for them? It had to be, after everything they'd been put through over the past few years.

"Come on," Jinora said after a while, "we should get started on lunch before Zuko gets back." She started to get off the bed, but Nima tugged at her sleeve.

"That's another thing," Nima said nervously, "Zuko's the Evil Emperor."

Jinora's eyebrows shot straight up. "What? Why would you think that?"

"I've been figuring out who's who in all of Fablebrooke and he's definitely the Evil Emperor," Nima said, her voice hushed.

"Why do you think that? Baby, is he hurting you?" Jinora asked, cupping her daughter's face.

"No, no, he's nice to us, which is why I didn't believe it at first either, but… Mom, I don't think he's always been a villain. I think he's a good person deep down, but somehow...he became the Evil Emperor, and he cast the curse."

Jinora pursed her lips. "But he's not hurting any of you?"

Nima shook her head and Jinora let go of her face in relief. "It's weird, he's actually the nicest guardian we've had other than you and Daddy."

Jinora brushed off the involuntary tensing of her gut at the mention of Kai and sighed. "Okay. Good. That's good."

"I just feel weird around him ever since learning about it," Nima said. "He's a really nice man other than that."

Relief washed over Jinora at the confirmation that the "complication" that Nima had mentioned in her video letter was attributed to something as small as a child's imagination gone wild, and nodded as sympathetically as she could.

"Well, I think it'll be best to stay normal around Zuko, since so far he's been a nice man to us and not the Evil Emperor," she chuckled. She held out her hand to Nima and she took it as Taani held onto the other, and the children allowed themselves to be guided to the kitchen, where the conversation wandered off to more normal topics, even if Nima still seemed distracted.

Jinora supposed it was normal to hold onto this fantasy as a way to cope with everything, but she still couldn't ignore how concerning it could be if she held onto it for too long. Maybe she'd ask Zuko if she had been acting strange, without revealing anything she was sure Nima wouldn't want revealed; it wasn't exactly flattering to be dubbed an Evil Emperor.

But that was why she was here now, she supposed. She was here to fix everything that had been broken over the past few years, so Nima wouldn't have to hold onto this anymore. So she could move on from all the pain the past few years had inflicted on all of them, and so that they could all move forward together, as a family.

-:-:-:-

The next day, Jinora got a call from Pema. She was feeling a little under the weather today and didn't want Jinora to work on the library alone so they decided to meet back up tomorrow. That was fine with her since, anyway, she was keeping an eye on Nima. The curse thing worried Jinora a little more as the night went on. How long had that been a thing? How long had she used to that to placate herself?

It made Jinora realize just how in the dark she still was about her children. Rama and Taani seemed to be on it too, but Nima had seemed so absorbed in it. So convinced. In a way, she wanted to squash it soon… so the twins didn't pick it up also. Then again, Jinora was here now. Perhaps it would fade with time?

The whole thing was very worrying, which was why Jinora was actually somewhat relieved to have found Nima tucked snugly into a cushy recliner upstairs. As Jinora recalled it, Nima was supposed to have been upstairs straightening up her room. Not that Jinora minded. In fact, it reminded her of when her baby was a younger baby.

"I know I'm supposed to be her legal guardian," came Zuko's soft voice from behind her, so unassuming that Jinora wasn't even startled as she turned slightly to face him, "but, honestly, I could never find it in me to force her to get up to finish chores. She always seems so peaceful. I'd hate to ruin that."

Jinora smiled softly, looking back to her daughter. "Nima always loved naps, even as a little girl. She's a… always was a lazy little thing. Even as a baby. Teaching her how to walk was a little hard at first because she just liked to be carried. Never exactly grew out of that kind of thing… well, until now I suppose." Her smile faltered as she watched the falling and rising of Nima's chest, in time with her slow, steady breaths. "I'm rather grateful for it right now...she's grown so serious since I last saw her."

"She wasn't always?" Zuko asked. Jinora shook her head sadly. "Part of the reason I let her skip out on chores sometimes is because she always works so hard to take care of her younger siblings. She seems to forget that that's supposed to be my job. I assumed that it came from having to keep them together in foster homes for those first couple of years." Zuko smiled sadly. "You raised a very strong little girl."

Tears pricked at Jinora's eyes, and she dabbed at them before the tears could begin to flow. "Has she...has she been acting...strange, lately? As far as you know, anyway?"

"Somehow, she seems more stiff around me than she was several months ago," Zuko admitted. "I thought I was getting through to the kids after the first few months of being their legal guardian. I'm not sure if I did anything to make her think she wasn't safe -"

"I promise, this is the most stable situation they've been in in...a very long time," Jinora said, turning towards Zuko. "And she really does appreciate you, we all do." Even if Nima was going on about some curse, Jinora thought silently. "Has there been...anything else?"

"There might be," Zuko said, tilting his head in thought. "I've actually been having her see a therapist in town. When she was in school a few months ago, Pema noticed she was having trouble getting along with some of the other kids, and overall was having trouble...adjusting. She's been in therapy ever since, and...she seems to be taking it well, at least over the past few months. She only started during the end of the previous school year, and with school starting soon -"

"I understand," Jinora said. "And thank you for making sure she's getting all the attention she needs. Would it be alright for me to talk to the therapist she's seeing?"

"Of course," Zuko said right away.

Deciding to go while Nima was sleeping, Jinora got the therapist's office address and headed out, taking the twins with her. Still, she left a note anyway just in case. She definitely and actively wanted to avoid their earlier episode.

Like everything in Fablebrooke, the therapist's office was a few minutes' walk away from Zuko's house, and for a moment, normalcy washed over her as Rama and Taani held onto either one of her hands.

"I thought we were gonna go to the doctor's later," Rama pouted. Jinora let a smile slip.

"This isn't your doctor, it's Nima's therapist. You know him, right?" Rama nodded, though his pout remained. "I just want to talk to him."

"Nima's not coming too?"

"I didn't want to wake her up," Jinora replied, her smile fading as she approached the door to the office. A large "closed" sign was hung over the door, with the office hours etched into the glass door.

"What does that say, Mommy?" Rama asked, pointing at the closed sign with his free hand.

"It says it's closed," Jinora said, taking one last look at the door. "Guess I'll have to come by tomorrow."

"Can we go to the Jasmine Dragon before we go back home? I want a passionfruit bubble tea." said Rama, tugging on Jinora's hand.

She laughed as she nodded. "Of course, but we're picking up some for Nima too, right?"

"Sure, but more importantly I get some, right?" Rama asked impatiently. Jinora snorted and ruffled his hair.

She then looked at Taani, who was looking off into the distance. "You want some, too, baby?"

Taani nodded slowly, and followed easily when Jinora led them to the tea shop diner. They'd barely walked in when Rama exclaimed "Naoka!" and let go of his mother's hand to run towards the front booth where a fair-skinned, messy-haired boy around his age was sitting and waving him over.

Jinora looked at Taani. "That a friend of his?" Taani nodded once. "Your friend too?" Taani nodded again. Satisfied with that answer, Jinora walked over to the high chair next to Rama's, where he and his friend - Naoka, was it? - were stacking the dirty plates that hadn't been taken away yet.

An especially frazzled-looking waitress with a windswept bob clucked her tongue at the boy, taking the top few plates onto her tray. "Naoka, I told you not to play with the plates, you don't know who's touched that," she scolded.

"Mommy," the boy whined.

"Sorry Mrs. Beifong," said Rama, putting a plate down. Jinora reached out and ruffled Rama's hair again.

The waitress's eyes followed Rama to Jinora seated beside him, and her light green eyes immediately lit up. "Oh, sorry, I didn't see you," she said, scrambling to set down her tray of dirty dishes and taking out her notepad. "For here or to go?"

"To go," Jinora said, "and we just wanted four bubble teas. Iroh's not here?"

"No," the waitress said, jotting down the order quickly. "I think tonight was pai sho night? Either way, I'm the only one on duty tonight, so sorry if it takes a little longer to get everything out to you."

"That's fine," Jinora said. She gestured towards Naoka, who was fiddling with one of the used forks. "You're his mother?"

"Yeah, I take him and his siblings to work with me whenever I get busy shifts like this," the waitress said, picking her tray back up. "I haven't seen you around before."

"Yeah, I'm actually Rama and Taani's mother," Jinora said, unable to contain her smile as she squeezed her children's shoulders.

The waitress nearly dropped her tray.

"I can't believe I forgot you were visiting!" she exclaimed, setting her tray down again. "I heard a bit about it from Nima a few days ago, but I guess it slipped my mind…" She extended a hand to Jinora. "I'm Opal Beifong. It's so nice to finally meet you, Nima's said so many good things about you."

Jinora shook her hand, feeling both tickled and undeserving of anything good her children might have had to say about their previously absent mother. "It's nice to meet you too," she said. "And you're allowed to bring your kids with you to work?"

"Iroh and Toph don't have a problem with it, and their father's always out late, so someone's gotta look out for them," Opal said, picking up the tray once more. "I'll be back out with your bubble tea as soon as possible," she said as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Thanks," Jinora called after her, before turning back to Rama and Naoka playing with the utensils again. She raised an eyebrow at her son. "Didn't Opal tell you not to play with those?"

Rama pouted as he dropped the spoon, but Naoka kept playing, content to not listen to an adult that wasn't one of his parents. Fair enough, Jinora thought.

"Wait, but if you're Rama and Taani and Nima's mommy…" Naoka began as he scraped the fork against the dirty plate. "Why do they live with Mayor Kasai?"

Jinora stopped in her tracks for a moment, but Rama simply answered, "Mama wasn't able to have a place for all of us, but Zuko's nice and is letting her stay with us now."

She nodded, grateful for the simple answer to a very complicated situation. "That's right. How do you two know each other?"

"Zuko used to let us stay with Uncle Iroh whenever he got too busy doing mayor things," Rama explained. "And Mrs. Beifong is always here. She gives me free pie sometimes!"

A clatter of plates shattering on the tile floor interrupted them, and Naoka stared at the pieces with a small 'o' of a mouth. Rama frowned at him as Opal came running out the kitchen door with four bubble teas in tow.

She set them down on the counter space in front of Jinora before frantically cleaning up Naoka's mess. Unsure of what else to do, Jinora immediately got down on her knees to help.

"I'm so sorry -" Jinora began, but Opal shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, my son pulls this _all the time_ ," she said, glancing over at Naoka pointedly. "Sorry if you felt like you had to keep an eye on them, I promise I don't make strangers watch my children for me. At least without not offering them free pie first." They both stood up and put the broken plate pieces on a tray along with the intact dirty dishes, much to Naoka's disappointment and Rama's relief as the former pouted and the latter let out a long exhalation. "Although I can offer you some to make up for it…?"

"No, you already seem busy," Jinora said, handing one tea to each of her children and carrying the other two in one arm. Taani immediately latched onto her free hand. "But it was nice meeting you, and it looks like I'll be seeing you pretty often." Jinora looked between the two boys again and couldn't resist smiling.

"Definitely," Opal said with a wide smile.

Rama and Naoka waved goodbye to one another, with a last minute "And nice to see you too Taani!" thrown in at the last minute as they walked out the door.

"I'm glad you can be friends with Naoka's mommy," Rama said, walking beside Jinora as she tried to keep the teas secure in her arm. "So when we play you both won't get bored."

Jinora chuckled, not sure how she could ever stay bored with her children around, and nodded. "Mrs. Beifong seems like a nice lady. Want me to see if I can fit in a playdate before school starts?"

Rama nodded eagerly and did a little skip ahead of them on the way back to Zuko's house. The gate was open to them, and Jinora had to let go of Taani's hand to unlock the door.

"Nima? Are you awake?" Jinora called as they all walked in and kicked their shoes off.

She followed the low murmuring of Zuko's voice and another man's, one that didn't quite register in the moment, to the kitchen.

"Hey Zuko, I guess Nima's not up yet, huh? Well, at least we didn't have to keep her waiting for too long," Jinora said, not fully processing the presence of their new guest as she set Nima's tea down. She brought her own straw to her lips as she finally looked up to greet their new guest when she swore her heart stopped.

It felt like her eyes were following everything in slow motion, as they went from Zuko, who was facing the man and smiling as politely as ever, if not looking a little frazzled, to the man himself, his undercut and dark skin far too familiar to Jinora before he even turned to face her. Once his green eyes met hers, her bubble tea fell to the floor, forgotten.

"Kai?"

* * *

It has been entirely too long since we posted the last chapter of this. Anywho, reminder that this story is co-written with spiritypowers, but yes! Kai and Jinora will finally reunite and I promise you won't be disappointed! It's going to be an eventful next chapter so thank you for all of you who have held out since the last update! Please keep with us!

As always, we love it when you guys drop those reviews! They really keep us motivated and keep us writing! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	5. Shattered Pieces

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

This fic is co-written by kuno-chan and spiritypowers.

* * *

 ** **Shattered Pieces  
****

* * *

 _Twelve years ago, Republic City_

Her combat boots clunked noisily on the sidewalk, and Jinora cursed her limited selection of quiet clothing as she attempted to look casual, her eyes scanning for anything out of place among the cars parked along the side of street. Preferably a loose door or an open window.

Her eyes settled on an old, yellow bug, a little dented and dinged around the sides, but charming in its own way. The paint was faded, the windows speckled with the remains of bugs and bird droppings.

Nothing fancy, but it would do for her purposes.

Jinora looked over her shoulder, once, twice, then tugged a screwdriver out of her pocket and stuck it into the keyhole, prodding each pressure point methodically before the car door unlocked with a click. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she pulled the door handle open and slipped in, hoping she lookied nonchalant to the public eye.

She jammed the screwdriver into the ignition, relieved when it twisted in and revved to life. Her hands shook as she pulled the shift into drive and, more clumsily than she hoped she normally drove, stepped on the gas pedal and drove off. Not too quickly; the last thing she needed was for a nosy cop to sniff around. And, for the first five minutes, the drive was going smoothly as she kept her eyes forward, trying to regulate her breathing.

It wasn't like she wanted to be a petty thief. But she had to be able to fend for herself somehow now that she'd finally gotten out of her last foster home. She'd just have to lay low for another two years, and then she'd be too old for the state to shove her into any malcontent's hands with a paycheck that said, "Hey, thanks for taking this freeloader into your disgusting home. Feel free to make this kid part of your trash collection, too."

Not that they were all bad. But none of them were worth staying for.

She tried not to think about how none of them had decided she was worth keeping.

"What are you doing?" A voice startled her out of her thoughts and she yelped, turning towards the voice in spite of her better judgment.

A boy - man, maybe, he looked maybe a year or so older than her - with messy dark hair and deep, green eyes that were clearing as if he'd just woken up from a nap, was sitting up in the backseat, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His baggy t-shirt was covered in dirt, and the stubble along his prominent jawline suggested that he hadn't had the chance to clean up in at least a few days. Still, though, she had to admit he wasn't terrible-looking; the muscles in his arms twisted and stretched with each movement, and his smile was lopsided and sincere (even more so now than usual, she supposed, given the fact that he'd just woken up from his afternoon nap).

He was also in the car she'd just stolen. She quickly turned her head back onto the road.

"Um…driving?" Jinora winced at the way her voice squeaked. _Keep it together_.

"Yeah, what are you doing in my car?" He didn't ask it angrily; in fact, he almost seemed amused, and she could hear the hint of a smile lilting words.

"I'm- Look, I don't usually do this, but I need out of this part of the city and I really need to get to the next area over so if you want to come out of this unharmed-"

"Are you threatening me?" More of that amused tone, and Jinora frowned.

"I'm serious," she said.

"What, are you going to stab me with your screwdriver?" he teased. Jinora's jaw clenched in irritation. "You don't seem like the kind of girl that would actually hurt anyone."

"Yeah, well, I need an out and I need it badly, so who knows what I'll do," she muttered, deep down knowing that he was right. She'd never even stolen a car before, and was currently failing horribly. Stealing food and tampons was one thing; foster parents were, unfortunately, usually not a reliable source of the essentials, so she could always justify that no matter how much she disliked having to stoop so low, but a car? Why had she even thought she could pull this off?

"You know, you could've just asked for help," the man said, and this time he sounded sincere. "You seem really stressed out, and I'd hate to-"

"You don't know anything about me," she countered.

"Alright, fine. I don't. Let's start with a name, then. Mine's Kai. Kai Fong."

Jinora turned back toward him. "I'm not telling you my name."

"Why not? I don't need it to have you arrested, considering the robbery's already in progress," he said lightly, "and if I did want you arrested, I would've just called someone by now."

Too jittery to argue with that logic, she begrudgingly offered a, "Jinora. Gyatso."

"Nice name," Kai said, a smile lifting his voice. "So, this your first car theft?"

"This your first time getting your car stolen?" Jinora shot back. "What's your deal, anyway? Do you, like, live in here or were you just waiting for it to get stolen?"

"I could tell you over drinks," Kai said smoothly. Jinora turned to face his so quickly she swore she heard something in her neck crack.

"Excuse me?"

"Eyes on the road!" Kai warned, but it was too late, as she ran a stop sign in her panic. Jinora turned her head back forwards, chewing on her bottom lip uneasily.

"I'm not getting drinks with you! Are you even old enough? What are you going to do, whip out a fake I.D.? That's dangerous, and illegal, and-"

"Says the girl who is definitely stealing a car," Kai grinned.

"-and I don't need to add _more_ illegal activity to my list of things I did today, thank you very much-"

A siren interrupted their thoughts, and Kai said exactly what they were both feeling: "Shit."

"Oh no…" Jinora groaned.

"This is why I told you to keep your eyes on the road," Kai sighed. He slid into the passenger's seat as Jinora pulled over, taking the screwdriver out of the ignition and replacing it with the key just in time for the police offer to approach the window.

"License and registration?" the man said in a gruff voice, and Jinora's voice faltered as she opened her mouth to say something when she felt Kai's arm wrap around her shoulders.

"Terribly sorry, officer, this is actually my car, I was just teaching my girlfriend how to drive stick," Kai lied easily, and Jinora shut her mouth and nodded, not daring to open her mouth again for fear of blowing her cover. Why was he doing this, anyway? Did he feel sorry for her? Was he _that_ into her? Did he just get some sick satisfaction out of saving petty thieving teenage girls from jail and taking them out later?

"She's got a lot to learn," the officer said, and Kai chuckled.

"Yeah, it's her first time out of a residential zone. But she'll get it, right babe?" He nudged Jinora lightly in the side and she nodded, her cheeks burning at their close proximity.

Did he just have a _thing_ for girls who committed crimes against him?

The cop looked hard between the two of them, then, after what felt like an eternity said, "I'm letting you off with a warning. This time."

"Thank you, officer," Kai called after him as the cop turned to leave, and Jinora could only manage a grateful smile. She heaved a sigh of relief once the police car drove off, and tried to shake of the twinge of disappointment that came when Kai removed his arm from around her shoulders.

"Why did you-"

"Start the car, and try to stay focused on the road this time," Kai said in a low voice. "We got lucky."

"Yeah but- wait, _we_?"

Kai offered her a small smile, one Jinora couldn't help but return.

"This isn't your car, either, is it?"

"What do you think?"

"…That I stole a stolen car." She couldn't help but laugh softly at the situation - what were the odds? She felt her face heat up as Kai grinned at her.

"So, how about that drink?"

By then, she really couldn't find it in her to say no.

 _Present day, Fablebrooke_

The warmth and tenderness in his eyes were as present as if five years hadn't passed between them and Kai's lips - she knew those lips better than anyone's and it killed her to have to remember that - tugged upwards at the corners in a slight disbelieving smile, as he turned completely towards her and took a step forward.

"Jinora -"

She took a step back. "Get out."

"I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but I promise I didn't mean to -"

" _Get. Out._ "

"Mommy?" Rama looked up at her curiously as Taani clung to her other side. "Why're you making him leave?"

"I didn't- I'm not _making_ him do anything," Jinora replied through gritted teeth before she could stop herself. "He's making it happen on his own. "

Just like he'd done five years ago.

"Jinora, _please_ just let me explain," begged Kai, the pleading in his eyes making her own sting for a moment, but Jinora fought them away. She would not _cry_ for this sorry excuse of a man.

"There's nothing to explain. Leave. Get out. _Now_."

Something in Jinora's chest clutched her heart and was damn near twisting it. How _dare_ he come back after all these years? After all the years of feeling like she'd done something wrong. After all the years of not knowing what to do. After, because of him and the hole he'd left in just the finances, she lost their children. _Their_ children. If not her, how could he just leave the children? A thousand thoughts and feelings surged through her and Jinora wasn't sure she could process them all.

All she knew was that he'd left.

He'd left her and the children.

Kai Fong could not just show up after five years after he left _her and their children_. She didn't care _why_ he was back. She'd, finally, after so long, gotten used to him not being there.

He wasn't _allowed_ to come back, damn him for everything that he was.

"Jinora-"

" _Out!"_

"What's going on?" said a higher-pitched voice coming down from the stairs.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, Jinora cursed mentally, her mouth almost falling open. No, not right now. Not right now!

There was a light thumping and Kai turned around eagerly. Jinora could see it in his eyes… he knew that voice. A look of fear and eagerness spread across his face as he turned away from Jinora and toward the stairs. Yawning a little, Nima was coming down the stairs, smoothing down her brown hair with her hands.

She opened her eyes - so green just like her father's - and looked up. It took her a moment, but the second she seemed to register Kai's presence she stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide and her jaw slack.

Kai just stood there. Jinora heard him let out a breath and his breathing almost seemed to have stopped. He took a tiny step forward - Jinora had to fight the urge to grab him. Damn him even if he _was_ their father - and hesitantly showed his palms to her.

"...Daddy…?" Nima whispered, astonished and bewildered, her hands still frozen in the ends of her hair.

Kai grinned, reluctantly, almost scared too, it seemed. Jinora mentally snorted. He should have been.

"Hey, baby girl," he whispered right back. The moment after was painfully tense, but even Jinora let out some kind of small sigh when Nima bolted into his arms and clung to his waist so tight it looked - and Jinora personally hoped - that it was probably hurting him. Even so, Kai clung back and put a gentle hand on top of her head, Nima's face muffled into his jacket.

"You're here, you're really here," Jinora heard Nima say, clearly tearful. "Where'd you go? Why did you go? I missed you, Daddy. I missed you so much. I missed you, I missed you, I missed you."

"I know, sweetie, I know," he whispered to her, tears welling up in his eyes as well. He wiped them real quickly with a finger, his arms wrapped around her.

"...was it me?" Jinora swore Nima said into his jacket and the twist in her heart just twisted some more.

Kai immediately wrapped his arms around her more fully and kissed the top of her head, real tears leaking from his eyes.

"No, sweetie. No, it had nothing to do with you," he said urgently. He got down on one knee to come face to face with her, wiping his daughter's tears with his thumbs. "And I am _never_ leaving you again. Do you understand?"

Oh, fuck you, Jinora shot at him in her head. Of course he was going to leave again. Fuck him and just _damn_ him for promising her that.

Nima nodded, smiling. He stood up and she hugged him again.

Jinora seethed at him, glaring something sharper than daggers at him even _if_ Nima was happy to see him. He should have just stayed away… _damn him._

"...Daddy?" whispered Rama, his voice so soft Jinora almost didn't hear it.

 _Shit_. She'd forgotten about the twins. God, she didn't need this right now.

"Zuko, could you please take the kids upstairs?" Jinora asked, her voice wavering as she tried to control it.

"...Of course," Zuko said, herding the twins upstairs. Nima didn't follow.

"Sweetheart, you need to go with them. I have some things to talk about with your father." It took everything in Jinora to remain steadfast as Kai continued to look at her with those soft, warm eyes.

"Why are you making him leave again?" Nima choked out, that panicky tone in her voice coming back. Her arms tightened around Kai and he let out a slight grunt of pain, but hugged his daughter back to her anyway.

"Jinora, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see, but please, look at her, don't make me leave her again -"

"DO NOT. USE HER. TO TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS." Jinora barely recognized the tone of voice that came out of her throat, and Nima's eyes went wide. "Nima, I'm going to ask you one more time to please give your father and me a moment to talk. You...you can spend some time with him after we're done talking. I promise."

Nima looked uncertainly between both her parents, and Kai nodded at her. "Go on, kiddo," he said softly, and Nima very reluctantly relinquished her hold on him. She looked at him for a moment longer before she creeping up the stairs to catch up with Zuko and the twins.

Then, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, she was alone with Kai.

Jinora scowled fiercely at him.

"How _dare_ you?" asked Jinora, almost panting from the raging in her veins. " _How dare you come back? You weren't supposed to come back!_ "

"Jinora-"

" _Shut up!_ "

"If you would just let me explain-"

" _Explain what? How you could leave me? With three children? A five year old and two babies less than a year old? How you just up and waltzed away, leaving me nothing but a note as a farewell? How Nima kept asking me when you were coming back? How she drew endless pictures for when you got home? How you just left us behind like we were nothing?"_ Jinora fought and failed to keep her voice from getting too loud or too vicious, but damn him straight to hell for all those years of pain and the pain she was feeling now. " _Yes, Kai! Explain to me why my daughter missed such a sorry excuse for a man!_ "

"I'm _trying_ ," he said through gritted teeth. "Jinora, I swear- I swear I didn't want to leave. I had to. I-"

" _Oh,_ _you had to? If you_ had _to then you could have at least looked me in the eye when you abandoned me!_ "

"Won't you even listen? _Jinora, please_. I still love you-"

"Five years too late," she spat.

"I love you. I love the kids," he pleaded. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Please, just let me really explain. I'm… I'm so sorry…"

She forced herself not to look him in the eye too long because she could see something like remorse in there. Whatever. He didn't get to come back and be sorry. He lost that privilege ages ago and if he didn't like it then he could go straight to hell for all she gave a damn.

"I don't care," she said viciously. "Now, get out. Leave. Don't ever come back again."

"No!"

Jinora sighed restlessly as Nima nearly tumbled down the stairs and ran in between her parents, latching onto her father so hard he almost fell over. Nima tightened her arms around her father's waist, but looked back at her mother, the panicked, terror back in her eyes like it'd been before. She looked like a frightened animal, glancing between her mother and her father.

"No! Don't leave!" she cried, looking up at her father. Kai tried to console her, but she looked back at Jinora again and Jinora felt her heart drop staring into her daughter's eyes. "You can't leave! I don't want you to leave! Don't make him leave!"

Jinora stifled down a growl and reached out for her daughter.

"Nima, sweetie, your dad-"

" _I DON'T WANT HIM TO LEAVE!_ " Nima shouted so loud that you surely could have heard it in every room in the house and probably well enough outside, the rip in her throat echoing. She balled her hands into fists and cried into them as she brought her hands to her face, her mouth pulled back in something between a snarl and a grimace as she just cried and cried now, sobbing like Jinora had never seen. Her cries never ceased as they turned into little screams and she brought her fists away then back to her face like she was beating herself with them, stamping her feet in a tantrum like manner.

Kai immediately dropped to his knees and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her temple.

"Whoa, whoa, okay, I'm not going anywhere. Nobody is making me go anywhere. Okay? Okay, sweetheart? I'm right here and I'm staying right here, okay?"

" _But Mommy's making you leave!_ " she half-screamed, half-cried and whined. " _I don't want her to make you leave!_ "

Kai only looked at Jinora and, for once, she didn't know what to say. She certainly wasn't going to scream at him again, not with Nima almost bursting like that so horribly. Jinora also got to her knees and reached out to smooth down her daughter's hair.

"Baby girl, mommy's not making him leave," she said. "Okay? You hear me? He can stay if he wants to."

"And I want nothing else in the world," said Kai.

Nima hiccuped and coughed as she brought her fists away from her eyes, her eyes almost flooding with tears at this point.

"Y-y-you p-promise?" she asked, seemingly to them both.

"I promise," said Kai.

Jinora looked at Kai, then back at Nima again a beat later.

"I promise."

Nima's shoulders slumped with relief, before she buried her face in her father's chest one more time.

"I missed you so much," she whispered.

"I missed you too, baby girl," he said in a voice so hushed and reverent that Jinora almost forgot to be angry with him.

Then, Nima slowly pulled away, and gave him a wide, tear-stained smile. "I have so many drawings and picture frames for you! I didn't get to keep them all, but I have most of them, wanna see?" She tugged at his hand and both parents stood up, staring at one another.

"He can see the twins again, too," Jinora said, her voice flat. Kai's smile faltered, but Nima took the prompt and rushed up the stairs, beckoning for her parents to follow her.

There was an awkward moment of silence between them, before Kai stepped towards her, cautious, almost scared. She didn't step back this time, but simply looked back at him, her throat tightening at the tenderness in his eyes.

It was only when he brought a hand up to touch her face that she turned away. "Our children need their father," Jinora said, her voice taking on steel, "but that changes _nothing_ between us."

She heard Kai's hand drop back to his side. "...I understand. And everything you said...I deserved it, I know. But I still want you to know how sorry I am and how much I didn't want to leave. If you'd just give me some time to try to explain -"

"Your first priority is making up for lost time with our children," she said, her voice cold. "You still have a chance with them. Don't screw it up this time." And with that, she started up the stairs, with Kai trailing close behind her.

She didn't bother looking back as she climbed the stairs.

She didn't want to be reminded that five years had done nothing but graced him. At twenty-nine, he'd gotten.. bigger. Broader in his shoulders and his arms and his chest. He'd grown facial hair since then, a patch of hair growing from under his mouth down to his chin. In the past, she used to tell him that he would look odd with facial hair, but she had to admit it looked quite good on him.

She didn't want to be reminded how gorgeous his eyes were. So green and warm and always looking at her with love. Even now.

She didn't want to be reminded of that.

He'd tainted all of that.

They went upstairs to the twin's room where Zuko was looking at a book with them. Seeing them come in, he kindly smiled at the twins and closed the book, quietly leaving. Jinora stood to the side and gestured for him to introduce himself, not sure what else to do with herself. She didn't think she could bring herself to physically tell the twins that this was their father.

Rama and Taani were sitting on the floor, looking up Kai with curious eyes. Well, Rama was. Taani was looking in some other direction, seemingly and pointedly not paying attention to the man in front of her.

"Hey…" said Kai quietly as he sat down on the floor in front of them. "Do you two know who I am?"

Rama nodded his head. Taani also nodded her head, but she continued to look away.

Jinora frowned and Kai's smile lifted slightly.

"You do?" he asked them.

They did? Jinora wondered.

How could they remember?

Then she remembered all the pictures and videos Nima had shown them. Perhaps there were photos of him in there as well. Doubtless Nima would talk about him. Pema had admitted it herself.

"You're my daddy," said Rama frankly. "Well, that's what Nima says. She shows us lots of pictures and videos of you. Where's Nima anyway? Was that her making noise?"

"She's fine," said Jinora. "She'll be here in a moment."

Going upstairs, Jinora had noticed Nima going to the bathroom on their way up. Excited though she was, she still had just gotten up from a nap. As if on cue, Nima bounded into the room and planted herself next to her brother and sister.

"Whassamatter with you?" asked Rama, frowning at her. "Why'd you scream? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she said urgently. "Look, Daddy's back and he's gonna stay! Isn't that great?"

"Do you buy bubble tea?" asked Rama, looking back suspiciously at his father.

Kai bit his lip slightly.

"I can," he said. "Especially if you'd like me to drink it with you…"

Rama nodded and looked back at Nima.

"I think it's pretty great then," he told her.

Nima pouted slightly.

"Don't say that."

"It's okay, sweetheart," said Kai, smiling at his children. "It's not as easy for him to remember me. I know it's gonna be a while."

He turned to Taani, who still wasn't looking at him and opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated. Jinora wasn't surprised. Even she had to take a second to figure out what to say to Taani when they'd first reunited. That reminded her that they still should take her to a doctor's appointment.

Beside her brother and sister, Nima raised a hand and discreetly pointed a the myriad of stuffed animals on the bed. Unsure, Kai reached up and grabbed a teddy bear off the bed. Realizing what he was doing, Taani gazed at the bear as Kai put it in between them hesitantly.

"...Does he have a name?" whispered Kai.

Taani nodded, touching the bear's soft foot absently as she looked at it.

"Fan," she said so softly, so tonelessly that Jinora actually startled. It almost sounded as if she were dreaming. Taani had never talked before. Not that Jinora could remember clearly. When they'd been separated Taani wasn't really talking if at all. At the very least, Jinora certainly couldn't remember a placeable time when her daughter had spoken and she hadn't spoken since they'd been reunited. She wasn't sure whether to be jealous or happy that Kai had asked her a question and she'd answered it with actual words.

"Well, I'm happy to meet Fan," said Kai, smiling. "...is Fan happy to see me?"

There was a moment of nothing where Taani just played with her teddy bear's fur, but then, to Jinora's shameful annoyance, she nodded her head.

"Are you gonna stay with us here?" Nima asked, and Jinora's eyes immediately flicked to Zuko.

"You're welcome to if - " Zuko began, and Jinora was ready to object when Kai shook his head.

"I appreciate it, but I'm currently renting a room at the inn nearby, at least till I get a living space figured out." He smiled gratefully at Zuko, before turning back to Jinora.

Nima tugged at his sleeve. "But can you at least read us a story like you did before? With the voices?"

A lump formed in Jinora's throat at the memory. She'd spent so many nights just standing in the doorway of Nima's room, smiling fondly at the sight of the man she loved - at least, _had_ loved - reading one of their favorite books so animatedly to their child, and it was those memories that she'd held onto during those first two months of his absence.

Feeling stifled, Jinora actually left the room, murmuring something about having fun as she did. She couldn't be in that room with all the love she once had. Painfully, she realized that she was jealous of Kai. Jealous that he might become the children's favorite parent as time went by and she couldn't - wouldn't - put aside her hurt. Hurt that if he stuck around they would probably all bond together and some part of her would be left out of that because she just couldn't look at him.

God and spirits, she was a mess.

She went downstairs to do something, anything, and found her fallen bubbletea in the carpet. Immediately, she went to get cleaning supplies to get it up. Anything but just standing around and listening to those voices again. Still, as she cleaned, she could hear the children's laughter the house was so quiet. Of course, Taani wasn't much of a laughter, but she could hear Nima's voice and she actually heard Rama's laughter as well. She scrubbed the rug that much harder until the stain was probably out five minutes ago.

She shouldn't have given a damn anymore, but she did. She gave _so_ much of a damn.

Not too long later, she heard the thump of people coming downstairs and Kai's voice.

"...I absolutely promise to be here in the morning, baby girl. Okay?"

"You promise promise _promise?_ " asked Nima, Jinora noticing she was very tightly clutching his hand, Rama and Taani on the other side.

"I promise. In fact, before you go to bed tonight you can call me, okay? I gave Zuko my phone number and I'll talk to you before bed. Then I'll be here in the morning. Okay? That sound good?" Kai looked at his three children.

"If you promise," said Nima warily, but happily. Rama and Taani too both nodded.

Kai smiled, then looked up to where Jinora stood. He walked over to her and reached out to her, but Jinora immediately shrugged it off as if something had shocked her.

He sighed.

"I know… I have _so_ much to explain. I expected you to be angry with me and just… I had to leave. I didn't want to. Jinora-"

"Save it. I don't want to hear it..." she said brusquely, then look at the children. "At least not right now."

Pursing his lips, Kai nodded and, after bidding another goodbye to the children, walked out the door.

She wished he'd stay out the door. Just never come back like he did before. This time, she could take it.

Uncertain of what to do with herself and not even sure she could look at Nima's immensely happy face - Oh, spirits help her that sounded horrible - Jinora looked at Zuko.

"Um… can you-"

"The children will be fine here. Perhaps you need to take another walk out?"

Jinora swallowed hard and nodded. Nima's face, seeing her mother walk toward the door, faltered and walked after Jinora.

"Where're you going?" she asked suddenly.

Jinora twisted around and tried unsuccessfully to smile at her daughter.

"I'm just going out for a little bit sweetheart," said Jinora, not having the energy to even lie about this. "I'll be back."

"But-"

"Why don't you go help the twins pick up their toys and washup, okay?" Jinora pulled her coat on a little more as she opened the door. "Dinner's going to be soon I'm sure."

At that, Nima looked at the twins reluctantly, but almost automatically moving as if her body just knew and responded to the twins needing something done. Still, she looked at Jinora as she took the twins upstairs by the hands, all three children watching their mother as she walked out the door.

* * *

The pure amount of _angst_ in this fic. Like, we're not even scratching the surface of it folks. This ride's going to get crazy (and it won't be the same event as the show, oh no. It's radically different and even the reason behind it all is a doozy. We have thought this out.)

Also, that very last line is something you guys should probably note. Kai left, yeah, but Jinora's not absolved of all blame here either. And, by that, you'll understand in future chapters.

As always, we really love those reviews guys and they really keep us writing! They really keep us motivated to keep the story going! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	6. The Drop Off

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

This fic is co-written by kuno-chan and spiritypowers.

* * *

 ** **The Drop Off  
****

* * *

The sky was heavy with the deep blue of twilight when Jinora finally got back to Zuko's house from her walk, and she found that her head wasn't any clearer than it had been when she'd left.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that he could just walk back into their lives like nothing happened. It wasn't fair that he was so easily forgiven by their children, the people he'd arguably hurt most. It wasn't fair that he was the one that had gotten Taani to speak, it wasn't fair that she'd had to look like the bad guy when she'd just been trying to protect her children from being disappointed and hurt by this man again, it wasn't fair that his leaving continued to hurt her…

It wasn't fair that the look in his green, green eyes continued to send shivers down her spine.

The warmth of the house seeped in through her sweater and jeans, into her skin, banishing the cold from her body.

Nima barreled into her before she could get a word out, and she wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"Hey, I said I was just out for a walk," Jinora said as the twins also latched onto her. "I'm alright now. It's fine, my loves."

They released her, and Nima looked up at Jinora. "But you and Daddy-"

"He'll come back if he wants to," she said, trying hard to keep the sharpness out of her tone. "Now come on, shouldn't you all be getting ready for bed?"

Nima pouted, but then she took each of the twins' hands. "Come on," she said, her voice unusually bright as she led them up the stairs.

Her children didn't understand. She watched them go, Nima pleased enough that her mother was back home. In perfect honesty, she wanted to just sit out in the cold until she felt better, but she knew that it was just stupid rationale making her feel like that. A part of her also wanted to go upstairs and tell her children not to let their lousy father back into their lives… that it would make her happy if they did that for her. But again, she knew that was not only stupid, but cruel and well against any kind of common sense.

But it was hard for Jinora to feel any heed for common sense. Kai was back in town and with him all the things she had tried so hard to forget. Tried and failed and here he was to remind her of her failure at just about everything. Did he enjoy this? Was he playing a game? A game to see how much of an idiot he could make her look?

And what was more was that the children - Nima especially - were so easy with him. It was a terrible thought for her to want them to hate him, but there was a part of her that did. He deserved it. He deserved to have it taken away since he left their love behind in the first place… her love... their love and their family life.

All of these things made her want to turn straight back around and walk out the door again, but instead she went upstairs. Maybe to grab a book. Maybe to just take a shower and go to bed. She didn't know and just let her feet lead her to wherever they were aimed to go.

To her room she went and just lied down, rubbing her eyes either from preventing tears or from pure exhaustion. It was probably a mix of both, but she didn't exactly care to find out. Hell, she could probably even fall asleep just like this… thinking about how everything was finally going alright until he showed up. Somehow, he always ruined everything for her these days. Even when he had already left he did.

Of course, she still had his number in her phone. She still had his pictures in her laptop. He was still a memory she could hardly bring herself to get rid of. Clearly, she was a glutton for punishment.

"Go away," she whispered, staring at the ceiling. "Go away and stay away. I don't need you. I don't want you. Not anymore."

That night, sleep was hard to come by.

-:-:-:-

"I still can't believe school starts tomorrow already."

Jinora looked up at the sound of Pema's voice. They'd been silent so far throughout their little workday, and Jinora was grateful for the break in silence, a welcome distraction from her thoughts as of recent.

"Oh, yeah. You ever get nervous?"

"My first few years, I did," Pema confessed. "But you get used to the kids. You get to know the best ways to get them to open up to you, and in the end, all you can do is care about them and teach them as best as you can. Besides, I've decided that even if I make a difference in one child's life, I'll have done something right." She smiled softly as she pushed a book into place.

"And Nima was your student last year?"

"Yep! And I've been given charge of fifth graders this year, so it looks like she's stuck with me again," she laughed. "It's kind of nice to get the same student twice, though. Less ground to cover." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and turned to Jinora. "You nervous about the first day of school?"

Jinora's smile grew strained, and, slowly, she nodded. "I mean, it's been three years since I've had to take any of the kids to start school…" She sighed, reminded once again that Kai would want to take the kids, too. It wasn't like she could just deny her children the chance to have their father bring them to school along with their mother, but...he didn't deserve this chance. It wasn't fair.

Nothing really was.

"Mayor Kasai did tell you you could stay by the library to watch over them, right?" Pema asked.

"Yeah," Jinora said, brightening up a bit. "He's actually a lot nicer than I'd dared to hope."

Pema smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, he's...nice. I don't think he likes me much, but maybe I just assume things because he's quiet and busy. He's pretty introverted for a mayor."

"Well, he takes care of the kids," Jinora shrugged. "And I did hear from his uncle that he doesn't even have much time for him anymore."

Pema shrugged back, her smile growing sincere again and she went back to stacking books. Then, quietly, tentatively, she said, "...I heard the kids' father came back."

Jinora cringed. "Who told you?"

"It's a small town," Pema said. "Things get around. Are...are you okay?"

Jinora caught the concerned look on Pema's face - almost motherly, she noted - and shook her head sadly. "Honestly, I… I'd rather he'd just stayed away. And I feel a little bad about that, but...can you blame me?"

"Not at all," Pema said. "Although I've never been in a relationship that long, so I wouldn't know."

"Really?" Jinora asked. Pema seemed just a few years older than her, and it still surprised Jinora that she wasn't married by now, as someone who loved working with children so much and seemed set on one day starting her own family.

"Admittedly, most of my experience comes from pretty awkward one-night stands," Pema admitted with a grimace, and Jinora actually laughed.

"I kind of get that. I mean, I should _not_ have started sleeping around at fifteen to begin with, but...yeah. Guys are kind of terrible sometimes."

"And sometimes they touch you like you're made of burlap and just…" Pema shuddered. "Deciding to focus on my career was the best decision I've made in a while."

"Yeah, it would have been nice to have something like that to focus on after...after Kai left," Jinora sighed, going back to stacking books.

Pema looked at her sympathetically. "You really loved him, huh?"

"I kind of pushed out three kids for the man," Jinora said. "I mean, not for _him_ , but...you know what I mean. I thought… I don't know, he stayed, at first." She shook her head. "Whatever. I'm over it."

Pema looked at her a little longer, but seemed to know better than to press her as she went back to stacking books. "So," she said, abruptly changing the subject, "have you all went school-supply shopping yet?"

-:-:-:-

The last thing Jinora wanted to do was talk to Kai, but of course that was the thing that she apparently had to do. When she got home from the library he was already there with the children, talking with them and just watching television. In perfect honesty, Jinora already knew he was there by the look of Zuko's face when she walked in.

"I'm sorry. It's just that the children-"

"It's okay, Zuko," she said, trying to smile. "I mean… yeah, I don't know. He's here and the kids want him here. It's fine."

Zuko smiled apologetically at her one last time and left to go start dinner probably while Jinora sighed, walking into where Kai and the children sat down on the sofa. She cleared her throat and Kai turned his head, seeming slightly startled by her appearance and took his arm from around Nima and the twins on his sides to stand up.

"You guys gonna go somewhere?" asked Rama, blinking up at them.

Jinora tried and failed to force a smile.

"Just for a little bit, baby. I'll be back." She caught the piercing gaze in Nima's eyes watching her. "With your father."

The children watched them go and he and Jinora left the house. He seemed to just follow her lead, which was half-annoying she had to admit, but what else was she expecting?

For him to leave if he would, she thought bitterly.

Together they walked until they reached a park with with a lake, the water surely cold enough by this time of year. Spirits, it took all of Jinora's strength not to just push him straight in.

"Hey, I know you're mad-"

"That doesn't even cover it," frowned Jinora and she twisted on her heel to face him. "Five years and all you think I am is _mad?_ "

Kai sighed.

"If you would just let me explain-"

" _Explain what!? How you ditched me and our children-"_

"Yes! Let me explain that!" he insisted. "Jinora, what do you want me to do?"

" _Leave!_ " she nearly shouted. "Go back to wherever you were after you left! After I called and waited and called and waited for you to come home, but you never did! After I stayed up crying countless times before and after I realized you were really gone! I don't need you! I don't want you! _And the children don't need you either no matter how much they want you to stay! They're better off without you!_ "

He seemed to swallow hard at that, a small glimpse of hurt flashing across his face. Good. He deserved so much more than that.

"You know, yeah, maybe you're right. Maybe they are better off without me, but that's not for you to decide."

Jinora took a step forward, her hands shaking from the sheer resistance she was putting in not choking him. _Not for her to decide?_ How _dare_ he because it was hardly for him to decide either. What fucking _right_ did he think he had to decide? He had thrown all of that away and now he was bringing back all the pain from so long ago. Bringing it back and bringing it back fresh, anew and now with a little more hurt just because he was here.

" _And you think you have any? Well, guess what, buddy? You don't get to decide that either! You gave that up!"_ she shouted at him.

"I'm still their father!" he shouted back

Her body moved and she did it without thinking. She drew back her fist and punched him square in the cheek so hard it rocked her entire body. He staggered back, holding his cheek and almost falling over. When he drew himself back up, he looked at her, incredulous and she had to admit that she felt the same way.

Did she just… punch him?

God, it felt good, but at the same time… not. Looking a little bit past him she felt even worse, seeing a small figure standing in the distance. Jinora sighed, rubbing her face as she realized that Nima just watched her mother punch her father. Kai must have seen her looking at something else because he turned around, rubbing his cheek. The second he did, Nima bolted, apparently going back home.

Did she always go out by herself like that?

Sighing, Jinora looked at Kai as a less hurt expression and one more of firm disapproval played onto his feature. They looked at each other for a moment, dropping his hand from his cheek and frowned.

"Okay, fine. I get it. You don't want to hear what I have to say," he said. "But you _can't_ just _hit_ me because you feel like it and especially not in front of the kids-"

"I didn't know she was there," she said, scowling at him.

"-because whether you like it or _not,_ I'm still their father. _I am their father and I love them_ _and I'm going to be here to stay for them no matter what you have to say about it_. You don't want to hear why I left or anything, then fine. But I'm going to be here-"

"Oh, I'm sure. I'm just so reassured of your promis-"

"-and you're going to need to learn to live with it or else you're just going to make this impossible for the kids to live with. As it is, I don't even know why they live with someone else, but we're going to have to make this work _somehow_. Unless you want to see them having anymore breakdowns. Qutie frankly, I don't."

Not knowing what to say to that, Jinora only scowled harder at him. Excuse him? She wanted to push him and tell him he couldn't use the kids as a way to make himself feel more right, but… he was also right. That last outburst from Nima yesterday had thoroughly scared Jinora. She didn't want it to happen again.

"Whatever. And first of all, I don't owe you any explanations, but we're going to just put a disclaimer on it and say this entire situation is your fault. If you don't like it then tough because it's the truth."

"...I know," he said more gently now. "Jinora, I _know_ I hurt you and the kids. I… I'm sorry. It's not enough, but I'm so sorry… please, at least give me the smallest sliver of a chance to make it up to you. At least let me make it up to the kids.. Jinora, please. Let me explain. Let me be around. Let me do something other than be something around for you to hate."

Jinora stiffened at that last part. At the pleading in his voice and his eyes. She shook her head. No, he wasn't going to do that to her…

But his eyes… they were so sincere with _something_.

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked him in the eye.

"You have _no idea_ what you did to us when you left," she told him, gravely. "...but the children need both of us. If you would like to make something of a life with them then I won't stop you. But don't you _dare-_ don't you _dare_ try to wiggle me out of their lives or place yourself over me. If we do this then we do this as equals. If not, I'll fight you for them tooth and nail. I still don't think you deserve them, but I won't stop you from trying."

Slowly and curtly, he nodded and Jinora uncrossed her arms slightly.

"Okay…" he said, letting out a breath.. "Okay… thank you. It's… I'll take what I can get."

She sighed. "Okay. Good." They were silent for a moment, the air around them almost static and stifling with tension, even in the cold. Then, Jinora said, "I guess we better go back now."

Kai nodded, taking her lead and following her back to the house. Three brightly colored backpacks were hanging off the coat rack, and Nima was packing a pencil box into one of them. He furrowed his brows and caught Zuko's eyes nearby who seemed to know his question already.

"Tomorrow is the first day of school," said Zuko kindly. "I figured they should get their backpacks ready now instead of waiting too late tonight. Of course, Nima already had the twin's backpacks done."

Kai raised his eyebrows.

"School?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, school," Jinora said sharply, then tried to draw back a bit of bite, going on rather impassively. "The twins first day."

Kai nodded slowly, seemingly thinking over something.

"I'll… I'll get up early then. When do they need to be there?"

Jinora looked at him, her mouth agape and sputtered a little bit.

"W-what? Get up? You can just see them after school! Why do you need to get up?"

Kai immediately frowned at her.

"Because it's their first day of school and it's the twins first day of school _ever._ I won't get a chance like that again and I don't want to miss that," he said. "I want to be there."

Jinora bit in the inside of her cheek and swallowed hard. She wanted to yell at him. Tell him he had _no business_ being there for their first day of school. Why did he want to be there? He gave all that up. Damn him, he had no _right_.

"Well, I can take them to school just fine."

"Jinora-"

"You don't need to go."

As if on cue, Nima bounded in from the other room, attaching herself to Kai with almost manic vigor, her eyes wide with excitement and maybe a little desperation. There was that feeling Jinora got again. A feeling that held a twang of fear in the back of her throat at her daughter's eyes so unnaturally alert…

" _Are you coming to school with us?_ " she asked, almost spilling over with her excitement. " _It's the twin's first day! You gotta come, Daddy! You gotta!_ "

Kai looked up at Jinora, his eyebrows raised at her as if questioning her. She snorted restlessly and stuck her hands into her pockets. It wasn't like she could combat him about it right now.

"Yes, baby. He can come with us if he wants."

Whatever.

-:-:-:-

"So your...er, the kids' father is coming to bring them to school tomorrow, too?"

Pema and Jinora were seated in a small booth in the Jasmine Dragon, steaming noodles and tea in front of them before they both really went to work in the morning. Jinora grunted in confirmation, spooning noodles into her mouth.

"Well, for what it's worth, my offer to come visit us all during lunch is still extended only to you, not him. Mostly because I don't even know him, but I want to think it's the thought that counts."

Jinora smiled slightly. "Thanks, Pema." She sighed, taking a sip of her tea. "So, looking forward to a new school year?"

"Looking forward to having more to do than read to coma patients, so, yes," Pema chuckled. "Not that I don't enjoy that, it's just...nice having people to read to that can actually talk back."

"Volunteering with coma patients and being an elementary school teacher? God, you're like an angel or something," Jinora snorted, slurping up another bite of noodles.

"No, but according to Nima, I'm a princess, so I'll take what I can get," Pema shrugged.

Jinora swallowed her bite of noodles. "Wait, what?"

Pema shook her head. "It's...it's silly, I gave her this book of fairy tales and fables a while back, because I thought she seemed lonely and, well, stories are always a great way to figure yourself out during the more lonely parts of your life. Well, she seemed to get really into it, and...she thinks we're all characters from her book."

Jinora stopped picking at her noodles. "Oh."

"I mean, she's a kid, it's probably just an imagination thing," Pema said with a wave of her hand.

"Wait, who does she think you are?" Jinora asked.

Pema took a sip of her tea and smiled bashfully. "She… She thinks I'm Snow White." She giggled into her tea and Jinora dropped her fork into her plate. "I told you, it's silly."

"...Yeah," Jinora said, picking her fork back up. "Silly."

And it really was. Yet, somehow, Jinora couldn't quite find her appetite anymore.

-:-:-:-

The schoolyard was teeming with the sounds of excited, chattering children, the creaking of swingsets, and the satisfying clacking sound of new shoes against concrete.

Jinora looked up at the building, a rather small one-story that took up the majority of the lot. It was a plain, dingy white, with water stains from where rain had hit the paint job when it was still drying. Bark chips crunched under her feet as Nima led them to the small playground, where the old metal slide was beginning to turn a bright rust color.

The twins were on each side of Jinora, holding her hands and looking around curiously with big eyes. She had to bite her lip at their little feet walking along next to her and the look on their faces for their very first day of school. It was only a miracle that she was here to experience this with them. However, she did wish one little detail would change…

Nima held onto her father's hand, chattering away at him about something Jinora wasn't sure she could follow. Kai grinned, swinging her hand as they walked. He chattered along with her, grinning down at her with that toothy smile. Jinora had to bite her cheek several times at this point. He always had to make things hard. Why couldn't he have just wished them a good day at school at the house or over the phone? He didn't need to come with them.

Nevertheless, she wasn't going to combat Nima's insistence so here they were. As they approached the gates, Jinora could see Pema in the distance, smiling and waving at all the children. The two women spotted each other and exchanged faraway smiles, slowly making their way over to each other.

"Morning, Pema," said Jinora, half-forcing a smile. "Excited?"

"Indeed I am, but the question is are these three kiddos excited?" asked Pema, beaming down at Nima, Rama and Taani. Crouching down, she smiled and waved at the twins. "Hi, I'm Miss Hee. Can you tell me your names?"

Rama just looked up at his mother questionably, as if curious as to why he had to tell this lady his name. Jinora only smiled down at him and tugged on his hand in hers.

"Go on, " she encouraged. "Tell her your name, baby."

He shrugged.

"I'm Rama," he said.

"Well, Rama, it's nice to meet you," said Pema, nodding at him. She turned to Taani, but Taani only buried her face in her mother's leg, clearly not wanting to tell Pema her name nor did Jinora really expect her to. "And who might you be, sweetheart?"

Taani only shook her head in her mother's leg a little and Jinora tugged on her hand just a bit.

"Don't you want to tell her your name, sweetie?" asked Jinora.

Taani only shook her head a little bit again, this time wrapping an arm around her mother's leg. At that, Kai got down on one knee and gently poked Taani's arm. She didn't look up, but she shifted a little as if to let him know she was listening.

"Hey, you know your brother's going to be in the same class as you. Right?" he asked, glancing at Pema for a second as if to ask himself before turning back to Taani. "And so you don't have to be super scared. We're going to come pick you up later on, okay?"

 _We?_

Jinora wrestled down the urge to grumble. Why did he have to insist that they were both going to go pick them up? He was here to drop them off. Wasn't that enough?

Taani seemed to nod a little and Kai smiled.

"You wanna go with Miss Hee now?" he asked.

Taani shook her head.

"Will you go if Rama holds your hand?"

This time, Taani actually took her face out of her mother's side and stared off in a random direction, still looking like that sleepy, dreaming child with no expression on her face. Apparently knowing what to do, Rama let go of his mother's hand and came around to take Taani's. She nodded when he did and finally turned back to Pema though she continued to look off in a random direction.

Jinora swallowed.

Why could he know how to comfort Taani and not her? Get her to talk? Make her not as afraid to go to school? It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.

"I take it you're the children's father…?" asked Pema, feigning some sort of ignorance to who he was. Of course, he'd never actually met him, but naturally she figured out who he was by now.

Kai nodded, getting back onto his feet, smiling and extending a hand.

"Yeah, I'm Kai Fong. Nice to meet you."

Pema took his hand and shook it with a returning smile.

"It's a pleasure," she said and nodded earnestly. Looking down, Pema patted Nima's head, Nima practically bouncing on the ball of her toes. "What about you, Nima? Are you ready?"

Nima nodded vigorously, Jinora figuring she was probably speechless just from all the excitement around her of her teacher meeting her father and her parents taking them to school. For a moment, Jinora wondered how her daughter didn't just pass out from so much excitement at once.

"Okay, it's about time we all head inside them," smiled Pema. "I have to go welcome the rest of the children, but I can take them into their classrooms."

Jinora nodded, looking down at her three children and trying to push out her thoughts of Kai for at least a minute to enjoy this. She crouched down and opened her arms for each of them, kissing them and hugging them tight when they fell in.

"You three be good, okay? Don't be scared and just stay where your teachers can always see you. Be careful and be nice and watch out for each other, okay?" she said, a few tears threatening to spring to her eyes. "I love you."

"We love you too," said Nima, Rama reciprocating with a kiss to his mother's cheek.

She hated to let go, feeling the weight of how much time she'd lost with them. There was supposed to be preschool before this. Time with them as babies before this. Maybe teaching them how to ride a tricycle. But now it was suddenly at the stage where they were off to their first days of school. They were still practically babies, the twins especially, but so much time had gone by…

Kai took his turn, doing the same as Jinora and hugging them all tight. Jinora's throat closed up as she watched each of her children hug their father. Nima gave him a fat kiss on the cheek, Rama smiled at the kiss and hair ruffle he got and Taani actually nodded into his shoulder when he wrapped his arms around them.

You don't deserve that, she thought scornfully, but tried to choke it down as best she could. Even if hurt. Even if it burned.

"Bye!" called Nima, waving one last time to her parents as Pema brought them into the school.

They watched them leave, the door shutting behind Pema and the kids with a resounding thud. And then, that awkward silence again.

It was almost funny to think about how before, this was the man she could have told anything to. The person she could sit in comfortable silence with. That they'd ever been able to have complete conversations without uttering a word. Even in their most quiet moments, it was never like this. Never static and awkward.

Of course, that was his fault, too.

"So...the Jasmine Dragon serves some pretty good tea nearby," Kai said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I remember you liked ginseng. ...Wanna go get some?"

Jinora crossed her arms, her brow furrowing. "...are you asking me out?"

"No," Kai said quickly, holding his hands up. "Well, I mean, I would if things weren't so…" He sighed, his shoulder slumping in defeat. "I just want to talk. Really. I came back for the kids, but I also came back for you."

Jinora gritted her teeth. "No."

"Jinora, please," Kai pleaded. "Look, I...I get it if you don't feel anything for me anymore. I get that you probably don't even like me. But could you at least give us a chance to be on speaking terms again? Without arguing? For the kids, if not for me?"

Jinora looked up at him, and found she couldn't quite hold his gaze as hers turned back to the ground before her. "Fine," she said shortly.

-:-:-:-

Her tea was already half finished before either of them spoke.

"So...you're working at the library now?"

Jinora looked up in mild surprise. "How…?"

"Nima told me," Kai said. "That's great. I remember you always loved libraries."

"Oh. Yeah." Jinora looked away, trying to push away the memory of the first time they were together in a library. "And are you planning on staying in Fablebrooke?"

"Now that I'm allowed to, yeah," Kai said, smiling brightly. "I'm still trying to figure out a place to stay-"

"Did you just say 'now that you're allowed to'?" Jinora said, raising an eyebrow.

Kai's smile faltered. "Um… It's hard to explain...well, everything. But it turns out Nima knows some things and we can put that together and-" Kai shook his head. "Sorry, it's a really long story. But I really do want to explain why I…why I couldn't be around."

"Well, I don't really care to hear it," Jinora said curtly. "So, you're staying in Fablebrooke?"

"...Yeah," Kai said, his smile weaker this time. "I'm trying to find a place to stay, and...well, this might be a little awkward...I think we should live together again."

Jinora nearly spit out the sip of tea she'd taken. "Excuse me?"

"For the kids," Kai added quickly. "It'd be easier if they could just live with both their parents, you know? And it'd be easier for us all to afford a place if we all move in together instead of trying to keep separate apartments, even if this is a smaller town, plus custody arrangements are kind of a mess and...I don't know, I just thought…" Kai said. "You don't have to, but...I thought it'd be good for them."

"No."

Good for you maybe, she thought, sipping her tea again.

"Jinora-"

"No, I don't want to live with you again. It's hard enough having _tea_ with you, how the hell am I supposed to share a place with you after everything?" she spat. "How am I supposed to live with that?"

"What about the kids?" he asked, frowning at her.

Jinora only sipped her tea again, pointedly not looking at him.

"The answer is no."

"Jinora, won't you even consider-"

"I don't want to consider you at all. No. The answer is no."

He sighed. "Would you be able to afford a place of your own, then? I mean, Zuko's nice, but isn't it weird to have the kids living with someone else?"

Jinora pursed her lips. Yeah, as if that wasn't also his fault.

"I said no. Now I really should get started in the library, are we done?"

Kai let out a disappointed sigh, his eyes dropping to the table. "Yeah. I'll...still be in the area if...you need anything," he said, his tone stiff in spite of his efforts to sound friendly.

"I won't, but thanks anyway, I guess," Jinora grumbled, leaving her payment for her half of the bill. She walked out without a goodbye or even a last glance behind her shoulder, and something about leaving him there so decisively was...cathartic, somehow.

After five years of wondering why he'd left her behind, now she could be the one to turn her back and leave.

* * *

A more transitionary chapter, but one with a lot of internal development I think. You get to really see how deep Jinora's animosity runs - and how conflicted it is.

As always, you guys know how much we love those reviews! It really keeps us going and keeps us writing! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	7. Story Time

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

This fic is co-written by kuno-chan and spiritypowers.

* * *

Story Time

* * *

As stifling as the walk back to Zuko's with _him_ was, Jinora almost preferred spending a good twenty minutes in his presence to taking the buggy back. Anything was preferable to being back in the buggy with Kai, really.

Rama and Taani were holding onto both her hands as they turned the corner into Zuko's estate, where the gate was wide open for them.

The door opened even as they were approaching it, Zuko's smile soft and warm as he beckoned the family in. The smell of baked apples and cinnamon wafted through the door, and Nima grabbed her siblings' hands and bolted into the dining room, where a fresh batch of apple turnovers were waiting for them.

Zuko shrugged at Kai and Jinora.

"I figured they'd all want a first-day treat after school," he said. "And Nima never turns down a treat."

Jinora actually smiled at him.

"Thanks, Zuko," she said, as they slowly headed toward the dining room. "From the sounds of it, they had a big day."

Kai had gone in after the kids and, Jinora saw, the way Nima offered him her last piece of her turnover, but Kai only shook his head at her, grinning, and probably telling her to eat it. A pang of something sharp made her let out a breath at Rama making conversation with his father.

"And they even have a tank with the fishies in them," he told his father seriously and Kai smiled wide.

"Yeah? Lots of fishies? All kinds?" he asked his son, sharing in his interest and glee.

" _All kinds_ ," said Rama, nodding as he took another bite of his turnover. "Right, Taani?"

Beside him, Taani nodded.

"Sounds like you all had fun, then," said Kai, planting a kiss on the top of the twin's heads then Nima's. "But Daddy has to get going, okay? He's got to go see someone right now for something important. But I'll call later on tonight?"

"Aww!" Nima frowned sadly. "But we've been at school all day and you just got here…"

"I know, baby girl," he said gently. "But this is really important and if it all goes well the I'll be able to see you a lot more often hopefully… okay? I _promise_ I'll call later on tonight though. In fact, I'll stop by before you go to bed. If it's okay with Zuko, that is."

"You're more than welcome to," said Zuko, smiling.

Kai looked back at Nima, grinning.

"See?"

"...kay. But you better promise."

"I _promise_ ," he said, kissing her forehead. "Is that okay with you?"

After a moment of looking at him somewhat suspiciously, she nodded, giving him a quick hug before he got up to left after giving the twins quicks hugs as well.

Kai stood up and, for a moment, looked at Jinora, who was looking anywhere but at him. He rubbed his neck nervously.

"So...I'll see you later?" he said, and it almost would have been endearing if their history hadn't been so murky.

"Sure," Jinora said, still not smiling. Detached and non-committal, like he, quite frankly, deserved.

He nodded, then exchanged a brief goodbye with Zuko before walking out the door. Unfortunately, not for forever.

Nima tugged on her mother's hand. "Mom, can we all sleep in my bedroom again?"

That got Jinora to finally smile. "Of course, baby girl," she said, the words barely out of her mouth before Nima started leading her and the twins up the stairs. She exchanged a quick goodnight wave with Zuko as she ascended the stairs and was herded into Nima's room with the twins. Nima then shut the door, locked it, and pulled out the fairytale book.

 _That_ fairytale book.

"Have you been trying to figure out how to break the curse yet? Or do you need help learning who everyone in Fablebrooke is? I still can't find your dad, but-"

"Okay, sweetie, let's slow down a bit," Jinora said, sitting next to her on the edge of her bed. "How...how long have you been reading this? And how many people have you told?"

"I told Miss Hee, some of our friends from school, and Pabu - that's my therapist - but that's it. I don't wanna tell too many people, just in case."

Jinora pursed her lips. "Why do you think there's a curse on this town?"

"I just know," Nima shrugged. She smiled sadly. "...You don't believe me, do you?"

Jinora reached out and stroked her daughter's hair. "I...I believe that you believe it," she said. "And I don't know if I believe it, because...well, it's a lot, and I haven't been in this town for very long. And everything's been really busy lately, especially with your father coming back-"

"Why don't you love Daddy anymore?" When Nima asked, this time Rama and Taani also looked at Jinora, even if Taani seemed to be looking more past her. A lump grew in Jinora's throat.

"It's...hard, when people don't see each other for a long time. I didn't even know he was coming back." Jinora opened her arms and gathered her children close to her, Nima and Rama tucked into either side of her and Taani seated on her lap. "But we both still love all of you, okay? Earlier we were at the Jasmine Dragon and talking about you, and where we're all going to live. I mean, where I'm living and where he-"

"We're all gonna live together again?" Nima perked up. Jinora froze.

"I… I don't know if your father and I are going to live _together_ , but-"

"What did Daddy say?"

Jinora tried not to grumble. "He...thinks we should all live together, since it would save money-"

"Can we? Please?" Nima pleaded, her green eyes shining.

"Sweetheart… I don't think that's a good idea," said Jinora, shaking her head.

Nima deflated, her shoulders slumping and her eyebrows turning up.

"Why not…?" she asked in a small voice.

"Because… it's just… because," said Jinora. "Besides, aren't you happier here with Zuko? You have so much space and so many rooms-"

"We can't live with you and Daddy?" asked Nima, looking as if the book in her hands was going to slip out of her fingers.

Jinora paused. No. No, she wouldn't move in with him. Not now and not ever again. The kids would have to just get used to that arrangement. It wasn't as if Rama and Taani had much to get used to anyway, however, Nima was going to have to live with it.

The "No" formed in her throat, but Jinora found it unable to come out as she stared into her daughter's big eyes full of something more than hurt. It was like devastation. The devastation Jinora probably would have seen had she ever really had the "your father left us" talk with Nima in full so many years ago.

She tried to say no again, opening and closing her mouth to do so, but no matter how many times she did she just couldn't get the short little word to come out.

Finally, she sighed.

"Would it make all of you happy?"

Nima nodded vigorously. Rama nodded as well and Taani followed a beat after him, albeit slowly.

"Please?" asked Nima, dropping the book right on the ground and stepping around it to get a hold of her mother around the waist. "Please, please, _please?_ "

Jinora bit her lip, patting Nima on the back and nodded only very slightly. She wasn't sure if she had taken it as an answer, Nima still looking up at Jinora with big, desperate eyes. Unable to keep looking at them about this, she only smiled a little.

"Why don't you play with the twins, okay? I need to go talk to Zuko."

Nima let go very reluctantly, almost confused and anxious.

"Are we moving in with Daddy?" she asked very quickly.

Jinora swallowed hard.

"Let me go talk to Zuko first. Okay, sweetie?"

When Nima nodded, Jinora left the room and went downstairs, catching Nima ask the twins about homework to do and paperwork to sign as she did.

She had pulled out her phone before reaching the bottom of the staircase, and for a moment she just stared at it.

Jinora had always chastised herself for not deleting Kai's contact information from her phone. It had remained untouched for the past five years, that same little heart icon by his name taunting her like a recurring nightmare. She took a deep breath, before tapping the number under his name. She brought the phone up to her ear. It rang only once before she heard his voice.

"Jinora?"

Her throat threatened to close up on her. "Kai. Um, sorry it's so late-"

"No no no, don't be! It's- it's good to hear from you."

Jinora coughed against the lump growing in her throat. "Um, I just…" She cleared her throat again. "I just wanted to call to...ask if we could meet up later tomorrow? To talk about...living arrangements."

She could practically hear the lopsided grin in his voice. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I, um, I talked to the kids about it, and...we'll talk after we drop them off at school. We can get tea at the Jasmine Dragon again, or...something."

"That sounds great," Kai said, his voice earnest and cheerful. "I'd love to. I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah," Jinora said, her voice sounding forced. "Um, goodnight."

"Goodnight, I lov-" His voice halted abruptly, and Jinora thought her heart would either jump out of her throat or sink to the bottom of her stomach. "I mean, uh, you...have a good night."

Jinora hung up, her head spinning at what he almost said. She shoved the phone into her pocket, refusing to give it any more weight than needed.

She walked back upstairs, grateful to see the kids yawning under the covers. She slipped in beside them, allowing them to cuddle up around her, their shared warmth melting her heart in the cold air.

-:-:-:-

Pema yawned into her hand as she looked up at the clock. Five minutes past her usual night volunteer shift.

Slowly, she got up, not in a rush to get going. It wasn't like anything especially interesting was waiting for her at her apartment. More spelling to be corrected, most likely.

"Well, here's to hoping you wake up soon," she said to the coma patient lying in the gurney next to her. She'd been reading one of the old books she usually assigned to the fifth graders aloud to him, as she did with every patient in the coma ward at Fablebrooke's tiny hospital. She looked at the patient she'd stayed with tonight, smiling down at him with the tiniest bit of pity. He looked quite a bit older than her, not quite old enough to be considered middle-aged but well beyond his 20's. Dark hair grew in a scattered mess from his head, extending down to a full beard around his closed mouth. His eyelashes were long, scattering the dim fluorescent light of the hospital across his face. He wasn't terrible to look at, and was probably fairly handsome for his age when he was awake.

Pema closed the book, slipping it into her large purse before she walked towards the door.

"Well, goodnight…" she looked up at the nurse close by. "Sorry, what was his name again?"

"We saw the name Tenzin on a handkerchief among his belongings, but that's all we know," the nurse shrugged. "He's been here for the longest time."

"Oh. Well, night, Tenzin," Pema said, nodding towards the patient that wouldn't wake anytime soon, "and goodnight, Nurse Shung."

"Night!" the nurse called out, and Pema walked out the door.

Sometimes, she had to wonder about the coma patients. She hardly knew any of their names, no matter how many times she read to them. Who were they when they were awake? Who were their families? Did they have friends? Loved ones?

Pema yawned again, and the thought left as quickly as it came. First things first, she just needed to get back to her apartment for a good night's sleep.

After all, the kids would be counting on her in the morning.

-:-:-:-

"So, how do we do this..?" Kai asked tentatively as he and Jinora walked from their meeting point at the park with the pond.

"Carefully. Without you getting in my way all the time and definitely with separate rooms," said Jinora, scornfully, walking fast as if to escape him. "Let me make it abundantly clear that I am doing this _for the kids_. I think if I told them no to this Nima might go crazy…"

Kai frowned.

"She just wants to see us get along. I know-"

"She has to live with it," said Jinora stiffly. "I'm trying, but you don't know. You really don't and I'm not going to sit here and explain it to you. And right now it's too cold for me to try and explain too much to you so let's just get to the tea house, okay?"

Kai apparently took that in stride and walked silently behind her without so much as even an audible sigh. Good. Now if he could just be like that all the time. And how dare he mention what Nima wanted? She knew what Nima wanted, but granting her daughter that wish was easier said than done.

Jinora swallowed hard.

She wanted to give her kids everything… but some things just weren't possible.

They arrived at the Jasmine Dragon, Jinora glad to be out of the cold. Briefly, she scanned the place to find a red-headed man sitting in the corner, Opal and Toph going from table to table, a couple of Opal and Bolin's kids and a few other people she didn't recognize. One man sat alone at a table, sipping tea rather calmly. While she only recognized a few faces in the shop, this man seemed out of place almost. He had long, slicked back black hair laid luxuriously over his shoulders and down his back and he wore a black suit with an amber shirt and tie of the highest quality. The man was tall - a little taller than Kai, in fact - and he was broad in the shoulders, easily and perfectly filling out his suit. His eyes were a dark amber, matching his shirt and tie and his skin was about as dark as Kai's.

She began to slip her coat off, walking over to hang it on the coat rack near the door when Kai tugged her away, rushing out the door with her held close by. His grip was still secure around her arm when they were a few blocks away, and he turned the corner, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

Jinora tried to wrench herself out of her grip. "What-"

He pulled her along once more, leading her across the street and through the doors of the library, now glistening with polish and almost completely organized. He brought her the the back of the library, behind a few shelves of classical novels.

"Sorry," Kai mumbled, releasing her slowly.

Jinora rubbed her upper arm where he'd held her, not sure whether she was trying harder to convince him or herself that his touch had been entirely unwelcome. "What _was_ that?"

"I…" Kai pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes shut tight, as if he was in pain. Then, he opened them again, his eyes wide and frantic as he looked into Jinora's face. "I told you it would take a while to fully explain why I left-"

"And I told you that I don't want to hear it," she said, immediately ready to leave when he mentioned that topic, but he grabbed her arm and she looked at him sharply.

"Don't start. Just listen. I'll make it short and quick, okay?" he said quickly, not letting her go.

Jinora rolled her eyes.

"What is it? Make it quick."

"That guy you saw back there? In the suit?"

Jinora frowned.

"Yeah…?" she asked slowly.

"That...that was my dad."

Jinora's eyes widened, and for a moment, she couldn't speak. Her mind raced, attempting to put together memories from conversations that had happened long ago, details of her ex's past long filed away in the back of her mind surfacing again. His father had left him in the middle of Republic City at ten years old from "far away" - for someone who had grown to become so open with himself when they were together, he'd always been cryptic about his past, and she'd never questioned it, having never really had a past herself - he hasn't been the perfect father exactly, but Kai had loved him growing up anyway, till he'd changed, become distant, power-hungry… Her mind halted there. It wasn't much to go off of.

"You...but…" Jinora shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs from her brain. "I don't understand."

"It's okay," he said quickly. "Just… stay away from him. Please."

"You don't-"

"Jinora, please, it's what this is all about, okay? Can you do that one thing? If there's anything I need you to do it's please stay away from my dad. He's just not good news. For you and for the kids." He shook his head, rubbing his face. "Oh, God keep the kids away from him. Just please. Please…"

Jinora squinted at him, ready to spat that she could do whatever she wanted, but something about the look in his eyes made her just frown at him. As if the mere thought of her interacting with his father overwhelmed him and as much as she didn't like Kai right now, she also couldn't get behind the man. As much as she _hated_ to admit it with all her might, she couldn't like the man who'd hurt Kai.

He was in some way indirectly and partially to blame for Kai being the man he was today. His hurting Kai probably caught up with her and their children through Kai himself.

Jinora sighed, turning away.

"Fine," she mumbled. "It's not like I like the guy anyway."

And that was the truth.

"Good," said Kai, letting out a breath of relief. "So…"

"So, do you have a place?" she asked quietly, looking at everything but him.

"Um, yeah. I'm renting this house out. It's small, but…"

"Fine."

There was a pause between them.

"What…?"

"Fine. Let's just do it. I don't want to talk about this too long with you," she said curtly. "Zuko says he's fine with the kids moving in with us. He thinks it'll be good for them and it'd make them very happy. All he asks is if he can visit. I'll do it if they want and if there's room and that's it. That's all. I'm doing it for them and only them. We get separate rooms and all that. I hate this, but when I accidentally mentioned it to Nima and that was my mistake, but it was the only thing in the world that would make her happy so here we are. Do we have a deal?"

This time she finally looked at Kai, seeing him nod and trying to keep down an apparent smile.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, a faint curve of his lips trying to force itself through. "That sounds great- I mean, that sounds just fine. The kids will like it. You'll see-"

"Don't get me wrong. I absolutely hate this," she told him, the curve of his lips faltering much to her satisfaction. "I hate this and I hope you know that every day. When I say this is for the kids I mean this _only_ for the kids. This means nothing to me. If anything, it makes it worse."

She could see him swallowing hard, his shoulders having slumped slightly and he frowned, seeming a cross between disappointed and annoyed. Not that she cared.

"Are we done?" she asked him. "We can iron out the living details, later?"

He nodded again, this time less enthusiastically.

"Yeah… I'll, uh, I'll call you later."

With that, he turned and walked away, hands in his jean pockets and head down. The stance of someone who felt defeated. She snorted.

That was just fine with her. Now, he knew a fraction of how she'd felt.

-:-:-:-

"I'm really not sure what you expected." Skoochy slurped up his noodles and Kai resisted the urge to glare at him, because, well, he was right.

He thanked Opal for the water refill as she stopped by their booth in the back of the Jasmine Dragon, picking at his own plate thoughtfully. "I know, what was she supposed to think when I left? But...I didn't expect her to be so... _acidic_."

"Like you said, you did leave," Skoochy pointed out.

"To _protect_ them," Kai reminded him, his voice taking on an edge. "And it's not like you gave me much choice-"

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger," Skoochy said, holding his hands up. "Anyway, what's more important right now is getting the Savior to remember the Enchanted Forest. Did she still have anything from back home with her when you...met?"

"Not that I know of," Kai said. "She constantly told me that she wished she could remember anything before the age of ten. And it doesn't seem like she's gotten any closer to remembering." He took a bite of his noodles while Skoochy tapped his against his plate in thought.

"Maybe we'll just have to keep slowly reminding her."

"How?"

Skoochy shrugged. "Bring up little things that were unique to home. Draw pictures or something if you're into that. I think your daughter even has a book about it."

Kai paused. "Nima knows?"

"Probably," said Skoochy. "You can ask her."

Kai sighed. "I mean, this is all assuming that Jinora's willing to exchange one civil word with me any time soon."

Skoochy shrugged. "You got her to like you once. Just do it again."

Kai rolled his eyes. "You don't think I'm trying?"

"I don't know how this works," said Skoochy, gesturing to Kai. "Try starting with story time with the kids or something. They'll want both their parents and you get to try jogging her memory with the storybook. And I'll do what I can when I see her again, provided she starts remembering who I am."

"Fine," Kai said, sighing as the bill was placed on their table. He dragged his hands down his face. "You know, my life was a lot simpler when I was able to leave all this stuff about the Enchanted Forest behind."

"Yeah, well, that's the thing about the Enchanted Forest," said Skoochy, getting up. "You don't get to decide when you're done with it. _It_ decides when it's done with _you_." He pulled his jacket on, laid his share of the payment on the table, and gave Kai a short wave. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Kai said with a stiff nod, before Skoochy walked out the door.

Kai dug out a few bills to pay off his own order before getting up out of his booth chair and walking out the door himself. Light droplets of drizzling rain pricked at his face once he stepped outside, and he shivered as he walked back to the little collection of neutral-colored houses just east of main street.

He looked up at the sky, the clouds above gray and foreboding.

Kai shook his head. If anyone could remember, if anyone could save this town, their people, it was Jinora. He'd always known she was special, even before he'd learned she was the Savior.

He just hoped he could save what they'd had before, too.

* * *

It has been far too long since we've updated, but this fic still has a couple chapters in the queue. We just have been so busy that we haven't been able to really write anything more lately. Hopefully though, once school takes a break we can get back down to business! For now, here's another chapter! I was reading some of it myselff and I have to say I'm still happy with the angst in this fic.

As always, we love it when you guys leave those reviews! They really motivate us and keep us writing! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	8. New Routines

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

This fic is co-written by kuno-chan and spiritypowers.

* * *

New Routines

* * *

The box landed on the off-white carpet with a dull thud, the contents clattering inside as Jinora sat down next to the pile of boxes. Her entire body was heavy with exhaustion, remembering the hard way just how much work moving actually _was_. Especially now that she wasn't just moving by herself anymore.

"I think that's everything," came Zuko's soft voice, and Jinora stood up somewhat reluctantly, having lost count of how many times that day she'd thought just how lucky it had been that the kids had been taken in by someone so congenial and caring.

Seriously, how many middle-aged legal guardians just helped two struggling parents move in with their children without a second thought?

"Thank you, again," Jinora said, shaking his hand gratefully. "I mean, for everything. The kids really needed you and you took such good care of them. I'm just so grateful."

"It's quite alright. The pleasure was mine. I just want them to know that they're always welcome to come around at any time." Zuko smiled at the kids standing nearby. "I'm going to miss them."

For the first time since Jinora had arrived, Nima actually stepped forward and hugged Zuko. She did so very reluctantly, but the look on Zuko's face told Jinora that it meant the world to him and even more so when the twins joined in, Taani included. He patted them on the heads and hugged them back gently.

"We're gonna miss you too," said Nima quietly.

"Yeah, and all the space in your house," said Rama. "Toys too."

Jinora made a face at her son's back.

"Rama," she chided playfully. "Don't say that."

Rama shrugged as the three of them let go.

"Well, you're always welcome to visit," Zuko said with his signature gentle smile. "Even if you're not living with me anymore, my home is always yours, too." He looked up at Jinora and Kai, who joined Jinora's side from upstairs. "As long as your parents allow it, and, of course, stop by for dinner as often as they can."

"We will," said Kai, smiling. "Thanks, Zuko. We really appreciate it."

Zuko nodded, still smiling, and after bidding goodbye to them all, left the five of them to unpack.

"Well, uh…" began Kai, half-looking at Jinora. "We probably should get started…?"

Now that Zuko left, Jinora became well aware that she was now alone with Kai… and she would be a lot now these days. She grunted, moving from his side and starting to grab a box, any box, to work on just to get away from him. Hearing him sigh gave her a small satisfaction.

It took them two days to get themselves all completely unpacked, joining Zuko for dinner both nights to alleviate the workload, but finally, it was done. They worked all day and Jinora and Kai worked a little late in the night to get everything all straightened out. Together, they took the kids to school and picked them up from school as well. In those two days, nothing changed though. Jinora stayed as silent as she could be around him. She would keep her promise.

She wanted him to know just how much she hadn't wanted to do this. Every minute of this domestic thing with him gave her a headache as she was brought back to a time five years ago when Nima first went to school or when the twins were born or when they would go to the park in the summer. All things he had given up and had somehow cajoled her into situations where she now _had_ to do these things with him. Letting down the children wasn't exactly worth it, she decided, and she would have to live with it.

And live with it, she did.

Like it, she did not.

-:-:-:-

"You still haven't figured out who the Savior is?" the voice on the other end scoffed. "You're really losing your touch."

Zuko frowned, resisting the urge to hang up and throw the phone to the other side of the room. "It's been a busy week. Things have been changing with the kids, and it doesn't seem like anything other than that has changed. I'm in the clear for now."

"Oh? And if the Savior awakens before you've figured everything out?"

"What do you care?"

"I have my reasons," the voice said in a non-committal tone. "Reasons that I'll keep to myself."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Fine. Very well. Either way, I could probably figure it out faster if you would quit taunting me about it."

A heavy sigh was heard from the other line. "Zuko, do you know why those children were brought into Fablebrooke?"

Zuko's throat closed up. "Whatever is in that greasy head of yours, _do not_ involve them-"

"Oh, they were involved before they got here. You could say...they were born into it." There was a chuckle from the other end and Zuko had to resist rolling his eyes again - the man couldn't even make a joke without being insufferable about it. "I'll let you figure that one out. Remember, time is quite literally ticking."

The call beeped to an end.

Whatever the arrogant bastard was rattling on about, Zuko wished he would just quit calling wanting to play twenty questions.

Hadn't he created this town to escape all that in the first place?

Zuko sat down on the edge of his couch and rubbed his temples. Whatever. He had more important things to do than to humor this man and his cryptic nonsense.

And right now, the most important thing was sleep. He had to help the kids and their parents with settling in early the next morning.

After all, the best way to spite every bump in his path was to attempt at the normalcy he'd achieved in this town before. And attempt he would, at least until the Savior made themselves known.

He drowsily figured that he'd burn that bridge when he got there.

-:-:-:-

It was a rainy day.

It was a restless day.

It was a restless day every day.

Jinora did not like looking at Kai if she didn't have to. The more he called her name for any reason the more she couldn't resist frowning at him. The more she saw his face the more she just wanted to slap him.

It was terrible, but she even got up most mornings, like this one, dreading facing him for the day. She got up out of bed, half dragging herself to the door it felt like and almost groaned when she saw Kai sitting on the couch with his laptop on the coffee table.

"Why aren't you getting the kids up?" she asked, crossing her arms.

He looked up at her.

"It's only six," he said quietly. "It won't take them long to-"

"They're ten and two five year olds, of course it's going to take them a long time," she said, throwing down her arms and trudging past him. "What three kids do you know that don't take a long time to get ready for school?"

"Jinora, it's not a big deal," he said, taking a quick sip from his coffee mug. "I can get them up if you want to maybe go make them breakfast."

She shot him a look and he put his mug down.

"Or I can go make them breakfast," he said. "That works too."

She rolled her eyes.

"If you wanted to help then you wouldn't be screwing around on your laptop-"

"Hey, I'm just responding to some job related emails, okay? I wanted to get to them as early as possible."

"What job related emails?" she shot back. "You don't exactly _have_ a job to respond to last time I checked."

Kai raised his eyebrows.

"How about job related things like interviews and applying. You know, actively trying to get a job. I'm looking for one, Jinora, in case you hadn't noticed."

Jinora snorted.

"Fine, whatever. I need to get the kids up. You do… whatever it is you have to do."

"We're already up," said a small voice from the hallway and Jinora saw Nima actually coming from her brother and sister's room. "Their clothes are ready and Rama's in the shower. Taani just wants her marshmallow cereal for breakfast and I'll take a shower after Rama, then he can eat and Taani can shower after me."

"Okay, baby," said Jinora, grateful the girl was resourceful enough to get up on her own if every morning with Kai was going to be this edgy. "That's good. What do you want to eat?"

"I'll just eat what Taani's eating," said Nima, Taani's hand in hers and leading her to the table and setting down Taani's stuffed rabbit down on the seat beside her. "I'm okay with that."

Nima kissed her father on the cheek as she passed him by and Jinora had to suppress the urge to send him a scathing look as she did. It was only made okay by the fact their daughter did the same for Jinora. Of course, she knew Nima didn't prefer one parent over the other - at least, she hoped - but still. He didn't _deserve_ that. Any of this.

She'd say it once and she's say it again. It just wans't fair.

-:-:-:-

Though Pema had been planning to take the fifth grade kids to the hospital one day to volunteer with her since the beginning of the summer, she regretted it in an instant when it became clear to her just how...out of the place their energy could be in that setting.

Nurse Shung was thankfully more prepared for their visit than Pema had been, taking a few groups to spend some time with many of the older guests who were in need of some lively company, and allowing a few of the more sensitive children to visit child patients in the burn ward.

Nima was turning to join one of the groups when she paused, something in the coma ward catching her eye. Or, rather, someone.

"Miss Hee?" Nima tugged at Pema's sleeve and pointed to a sleeping man in the far corner of the coma ward. "Do you know him?"

"Well, he's one of the patients I visit regularly," Pema said, "but no, not really. It's hard to get to know someone when they're not awake." She smiled a little, but Nima frowned.

"He's one of the patients Mom says you read to, right?"

Pema nodded. "Do you want to help me read to them?"

Nima then smiled and nodded, unzipping the too-big backpack hanging off one shoulder and pulling out her fairytale book. She put her backpack near the pile with the rest of the kids' and tucked the book under her arm, using her other hand to tug Pema towards the patient.

This _had_ to be him. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she just _knew_ , in her soul, just like she had with everyone else in town.

Now maybe her teacher wouldn't be alone anymore. At least as much as possible before the curse was broken.

Nima sat Pema down in a chair beside the patient and set the book in her lap. turning it to a page with a watercolor illustration of Prince Charming and Snow White meeting for the first time.

Pema smiled slightly. "Any reason you want me to read this?"

Nima tried to shrug nonchalantly. "Just like the story, that's all."

Pema chuckled softly, deciding to humor the child as she looked down at the book, her eyes skimming over the small, black letters.

The story came out in a steady stream of words, Pema having had practice reading out loud for at least the past five years. The story was familiar, having owned the book before giving it to Nima. Snow White had been on her way to meet potential suitors, thoroughly dreading it, when her carriage was stopped by a fallen tree. The carriage was promptly robbed, and the princess, having been in a bad enough mood with her impending engagement, went after the bandit, who'd stolen a purse of jewelry, her mother's necklace among them. She'd nearly caught the bandit, having tackled him to the ground, finding him to be much less rough-looking than she'd expected.

"...The bandit, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the runaway prince from the neighboring kingdom, threw the princess off of him, managing an embarrassed 'Sorry,' before disappearing amongst the trees.

The princess, feeling very frazzled and unprincess-like, called after him, 'I will find you! I will always find you!'"

Pema opened her mouth to begin the next paragraph when she felt a strong grip on her hand. She looked up in surprise, then found that the man - Tenzin, if she was remembering correctly - had actually _moved_. And was _holding her hand_.

She stared wide-eyed, frozen for a moment, before she said in a small, timid voice, "...Sir?"

Tenzin groaned in his sleep, before his eyes slowly opened, taking a long time to focus on anything. When he did, his gray eyes focused on her, and Pema gulped, feeling oddly self-conscious under his gaze.

"What's happening?" he asked, his voice raspy from disuse. Pema took Tenzin's hand in hers, squeezing it gently.

"You've woken up from a coma," she said as gently as possible. "It'll be okay." She turned to Nima, who had been watching the scene with eyes as big as saucers and a small smile. "Nima, could you please fetch a nurse?"

"Yes, Miss Hee!" exclaimed Nima, seeming far too bubbly as she skipped down the hall to locate a nurse. Pema shook it off, turning her attention back to the patient next to her, who was still clinging to her hand.

"Do you remember anything from before you got here?" she asked, her voice soft. Tenzin shook his head, his hair askew and his eyes cloudy.

"Who am I? _Where_ am I?" he asked, his low, grave voice wavering. Pema gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Your name is Tenzin, they didn't get your last name, and you're in Fablebrooke Hospital, in the coma ward. You just woke up. And...you're gonna be okay."

The man still seemed unsure, his eyes now flitting across the room, but he nodded. "Okay."

Pema's smile brightened. "My name is Pema Hee. Do you want me to stay around if the nurses let me?"

Tenzin nodded immediately. "Yes, I just...don't know who anyone is. I don't remember anything, I-"

"It's okay," said Pema soothingly. "You're okay."

Then, Tenzin smiled appreciatively, and the strangest fluttering sensation went off in her chest, almost too subtle to notice if it hadn't felt so oddly _familiar_. "Thank you," he said, and Pema nodded.

"Of course...Tenzin."

-:-:-:-

The mattress was small and squeaked a little when they shifted, but Jinora couldn't find it in her to mind as Nima snuggled up next to her, Rama settled himself into her side and Taani adjusted herself in her lap. When Jinora opened up Nima's fairytale book, the book was promptly closed shut on her again.

"We have to wait for Daddy," Nima said, and Jinora's mood dampened.

She tried not to show her disappointment when Kai showed up, a grin on his face, though didn't care much if she failed. Would her children wait for her before bedtime stories, she wondered? Or was that something specifically saved just for their father?

"Can Daddy read the story?" Nima asked again. "I like it when he does the voices."

Jinora stalled slightly, not knowing what to say for a moment. She certainly couldn't say no, of course.

"Sure," she said quietly.

Kai gave her a small, almost nervous smile, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to her, Nima snug between the both of them. Jinora frowned, wishing more than ever that they'd had enough money to afford a bigger mattress for the kids.

Nima opened the book to a page near the beginning and handed it to her father, who set it wide open on his lap. His eyes scanned the page momentarily, familiarizing himself with the words and characters in a flash before bringing them to life with his voice and his facial expressions.

Jinora's throat tightened. It was one of the things she loved about him.

It was one of the things she _had_ loved about him.

Jinora looked at her three children, Nima and Rama smiled and even laughed at their father's voices while Taani relaxed peacefully in her mother's lap. The three of them listened to their father, Taani nodding whenever he turned his voice and expression on her and Nima and Rama completely attentive to him. Every now and again though, Jinora swore, he glanced up at her. He did it again and she frowned, raising an eyebrow.

Why did he keep glancing at her?

Quite frankly, she wished he wouldn't. She didn't want to see his face at all when he was reading to their children like this. It brought back flashes of when she was gleefully reminded of why she had loved him so much. When things were so much simpler.

"...and the Evil Emperor brought down a curse on the land and all its peoples," said Kai in a mystical voice. "A curse that would take everyone to a land without magic and strip them of all their happy endings. They would forevermore and eternally be discontent, time frozen, and the precious things in their lives taken just out of their reach. The child of Snow White and Prince Charming, however, was spared by her parent's love and quick wit. It is said that she will one day return to free them from the Evil Emperor's clutches as the savior."

"Mama, she looks like you," said Rama, coming around to plop next to his father. He pointed to the girl in the painted picture. "Look, see?"

Reluctantly, Jinora looked at the illustration. It was in watercolor, like all the others, but the silhouette of a small, slender girl standing between her parents was still clear in the mess of color. She had dark brown hair, like hers, and her skin was also fair, like hers. There were next to no facial details, but she still caught a small, pink mouth and two large brown eyes.

Just like hers.

Jinora swore she caught both him and Nima taking a quick glance at her.

"That looks like a lot of people with brown hair and eyes," Jinora shrugged, cringing a little at how curtly it had come out. It was just so hard to be warm when _he_ was around.

"No, he's right," Kai said, pushing the book closer to her. "Her hair's even curling up at her mouth the same way yours does."

Jinora resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Are there any other stories you want to hear?" she asked the kids instead, noting the untouched pages closer to the front of the book, and, frankly, tiring of this overarching theme of a curse and a Savior that was so present near the end of the book.

"I wanna hear the one about the beast and the beautiful maid he fell in love with," Nima piped up. Jinora wasn't sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her or if Kai actually cringed.

"Actually, I think it's time for you all to sleep now," he managed, closing the book gently.

"Aww!" whined Nima.

"But I'm not sleepy," yawned Rama, actually leaning on his father's arm.

Kai smiled and Jinora looked away, listening to him chiding the two of them playfully.

"No bellyaching you two. Look, your sister's already asleep," he said and indeed Taani seemed to be perfectly comfortable laying against her mother's bosom. "Come on, off to bed."

They tucked the three in and said their goodnights, both of them kissing all three children on the cheeks and the forehead. Kai looked at each of them a half second longer than Jinora did, Jinora unable to be in the same room with Kai as he did this. Each second she couldn't help, but think that he didn't deserve to do that. He didn't deserve to have those moments.

There was so much about their arrangement right now that he didn't deserve. He didn't deserve to see them every day and he didn't deserve their smiles.

No matter how much they smiled for him…

When they finished tucking the twins, Kai sighed.

"So, uh, they seem to like story time still. How about-"

"I don't want to hear it," she said curtly, turning her back on him.

He went silent after that and she could hear him shifting his way across the room.

"...goodnight then."

She answered him by slamming the door in her wake.

-:-:-:-

"So...you still can't remember anything?"

It had been a week since Tenzin had been discharged from the hospital, with few health complications other than general amnesia. He'd been a little weak, but was able to walk after a few days, albeit rather slowly. Just like now, near the old toll bridge between the coastal and wooded areas, though Pema didn't mind a slow walk. Why speed past life when there was so much to take in?

"No," said Tenzin sadly, his face downcast. He looked more cleaned up now, with his moustache and beard combed neatly with the sheen of having been freshly washed, his head now completely shaven. When Pema had asked about it, Tenzin had only shrugged, stating that it was more comfortable that way.

She'd been spending a lot of her free time with this strange man. She had brought him coffee in the morning (decaf, the nurses had recommended), had lunch breaks with him in the hospital, and even had dinners with him before going back to her place.

It should have felt as strange as she supposed it sounded, but, really, spending so much time with him was somehow one of the most natural things she'd ever done in her life.

"Not even about this town?" Pema asked, her brow furrowing. His back was straight like an arrow, and she couldn't help but admire the gravity that seemed to come with each of his slow, steady steps.

"Well…" Tenzin stopped, looking out at the broken bridge. "Somehow, I remember this. From what, I'm not sure."

"That's something," Pema pointed out cheerfully. "Maybe you used to come here often?"

Tenzin nodded slowly. "Yes...I believe I did." His voice was low, quiet, and thoughtful as he looked at her, his grey eyes equally thoughtful. "And walking here with you...that also feels familiar, somehow."

Pema's throat went dry as her eyes met his, unwavering and without any fear, and she managed a small smile and a nod. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Thank you, again," said Tenzin gratefully, taking Pema's hand in his, "for taking care of me this past week. And for visiting me so often even when I was still in a coma. I...everything has been so confusing lately, but you've somehow been the one steady thing in all of this."

Pema's smile widened. "Well, I'm happy to help a new friend."

The corners of Tenzin's eyes crinkled appreciatively, and they resumed walking, just chatting about the town, the weather, their favorite books...anything, really.

It was with a jolt in her heart that Pema realized that neither of them had let go of the other's hand.

-:-:-:-

"Ms. Gyatso… you know why we're here."

The social worker closed her briefcase gently, looking at her through half-rimmed spectacles and a grim expression. Of course, Jinora knew the apartment they lived in was dirty - she was always out looking for work, how was she supposed to find time to clean it? - and it was in a terrible neighborhood, but she didn't have any _choice_. This was the only place she could afford and it wasn't as if she could afford a babysitter.

" _Please_ ," pleaded Jinora, her throat tight as she found herself walking in front of the door to her children's bedroom. Her voice was but a whisper as she glanced at the two officers standing next to the woman. "Don't. Give me a chance. I can do this. I just need time-"

"We have given you time," said Ms. Reng. "And you still have no job. Not only that, but the environment is filthy and, according to your five year old, she's left home alone all the time? In this neighborhood? Ms. Gyatso, you must know that the children simply can't survive like this. You cannot support these three children all on your own and you've run out of options."

"I-I-I'll get a babysitter! Really I will!" Jinora could feel her eyes stinging. "I just- with the job situation I can't afford one, but we'll find another place to live. Please, I'll do anything! I'll apply to the state for help again, please! Unemployment again! Anything, I'll do anything! Please!"

Ms. Reng took her glasses off and pursed her lips, a sure sign that Jinora knew her pleas fell on deaf ears. Jinora backed up into the door, each hand clutched into the old paint chipped door frame like a dragon guarding its treasure.

They could _not_ take her children.

This couldn't be happening...

 _This couldn't be happening._

She was _trying_. The kids were doing alright. Not the greatest, but alright! Nobody would hire her and all the places that did seem fine with hiring her seemed to either hire her for ulterior… physical purposes as evidenced from her last boss at the drug store who encouraged her to wear low cut tops because they were "the in thing" right now for ladies her age or they because they needed someone temporary. It was hard when you didn't have a high school diploma. Nothing to show anybody that you were worth hiring. What skills did she have to show for?

If they would just let her keep her children she would go out and find the first decent strip club, she swore. _Anything_. Damn her dignity and damn her pride to hell and back. She knew they paid fair enough and even if it would get her ridicule for the rest of her life in some form or way, at least she would be able to pay her bills and feed her children.

"Ms. Gyatso, please. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Don't take my children," she breathed. "Just don't take my children."

Ms. Reng sighed heavily.

"Ms. Gyatso… I'm sorry. This is above my head… you've run out of time."

"No!" cried Jinora and she turned around as if to hug the door. She felt two pair of hands easily, but surely wrench her away from the door. They entered the room and all Jinora could hear was Nima screaming, the officers attempting to calm her down and Ms. Rend attempting to soothe her.

The twins began crying and Jinora leapt into the room, she tried to get to her children, but one of the officers made sure to separate her. The other officer, resigned to his duty, grabbed Nima as gently as he could and picked her up, doing his best to ignore her crying.

"Mommy!" sobbed a five year old Nima as the officer lifted her from the room. "Mommy! Where's he taking me!? _Mommy, help me! I don't want to go!_ _ **Mommy!**_ "

" _Let her go!"_ cried Jinora, reaching out to grab her daughter's hand, their fingers just brushing as her daughter was being grabbed from the room. When she turned, Ms. Reng was lifting a screaming Rama and Taani who had hidden herself under the blankets of the bed. Though Taani wasn't screaming nor did her face show any evidence of panic, she was frantically trying to get free of Ms. Reng's grip and Rama was sobbing, screaming out of his mind, reaching for his mother and clearly terrified of what was going on.

Jinora pushed, screamed and kicked as the officer held her for good measure as her children's screams died down.

 _No._

She pushed the officer away with all the force she had and raced down the hall, down the stairs and out the building where her children were being loaded into an official looking black car.

"NO!" Jinora almost ran her face straight into the car's back seat window, skidding to her knees. She banged on the window, desperate to calm her crying children and soothe away Nima's scrunched up face as mother and daughter both banged on the window to get to each other. Behind Nima, Jinora could see Rama reaching his arms out for her and Taani trying to undo the buckle of her carseat. It made Jinora sob and her face contort from the pain that was wrenching at her heart.

I can't save them, she realized as she tried to open the door, but of course, it was firmly locked.

" _Mommy! I wanna go with you! I don't wanna leave! Mommy, please!_ " screamed Nima and Jinora sobbed harder.

"Ms. Gyatso. I'm sorry," said Ms. Reng, hand on the driver's seat door.

" _NO, YOU'RE NOT!"_ Jinora turned on her, screaming like a banshee and the officer held her back from lunging. " _YOU'RE TAKING THEM AWAY! GIVE THEM BACK! GIVE MY BABIES BACK!"_

" _Do you really believe that you can help them? Do you?"_ asked Ms. Reng, raising her voice now too. " _Look at you! You have no stable job, you're barely home, no connection to family! This. This is the only way to help your children."_

With that, Ms. Reng put her glasses back on and got in the car. Jinora would never forget the way Nima turned around in her seat, banging on the rear window of the car as if she were being kidnapped. The officer let go and Jinora ran after the car, painfully aware that she could never catch up. When she was two blocks in running, she tripped, but couldn't find the strength to get up.

On the pavement she laid, crying and just ignoring the passerby who stopped to ask her if she were okay.

No, she wasn't okay. She was now completely alone and her children were being taken to only spirits knew where.

She was not okay.

And then she woke up.

Jinora bolted upright with a gasp, cold sweat dampening her skin and she fought to catch her breath.

She clutched at the sheets around her. her eyes adjusting in the dim room. Light streamed in through the blinds, and Jinora ran one hand through her messy hair.

Just a dream. It was all just a dream.

Hot tears pricked at her eyes and streamed down her face without warning, and she drew her knees up to her chest, hugging them to her as she cried into the blanket that covered her.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been crying when she finally lifted her head, her face and the blanket damp with tears. Jinora reluctantly slid out of bed, the fatigue of sobbing already weighing her down as she made her way to the bathroom and washed her face.

The kids were here. The kids were safe, and healthy. She wouldn't have to say goodbye to them again.

Maybe someday, when she was a little more settled in town, she could see if Zuko would be willing to let her have formal custody of the kids. Even sharing custody with him would have been alright; he was a stable home for them, and he truly cared for the family.

She frowned at herself in the mirror when she remembered that Kai would probably want to share custody of the kids, too.

Jinora wiped away the cold water with a towel, furiously rubbing at her skin. It wasn't _fair_. If he hadn't left, they wouldn't even be in this mess. They would still be completely hers. If he'd at least given her fair warning when he'd abandoned them and ripped her heart out-

She slipped on a t-shirt and some old skinny jeans, and quickly rolled some socks onto her feet before walking out of her tiny bedroom to the smell of pancakes. The kids were already fully dressed and seated at the small, rickety dining table near the kitchen, where Kai was flipping more pancakes, and, quite frankly, getting flour all over the counter. She scowled; she'd have to clean that up later. She'd learned over the past few weeks that the man still couldn't clean the kitchen properly.

"Good morning, Mommy!" Nima piped up, scrambling out of her seat to hug her mother. Jinora smiled a little, hugging her daughter back. "Daddy made us pancakes!"

Jinora's smile grew strained. "I see," she said, allowing Nima to pull her to the dining table. Nima sat her down at an empty chair, where a stack of misshapen pancakes were already in front of her.

"It's okay, Daddy made them taste better than they look," Nima giggled, sitting back down at her own chair.

Jinora glanced briefly at Kai, who was looking at her expectantly, then quickly forced her eyes back to the plate in front of her. "I'm sure they are," said Jinora, not sure if she wanted to eat anything from Kai.

Jinora picked at her food as her children ate, Nima and Rama chatting with their father. She took several bites, but finished hardly half her plate. Thankfully, the children didn't notice and they went inside to finish brushing their teeths and to get their backpacks. When they left, Jinora stopped eating entirely and Kai sighed.

"What's wrong now?" he asked, putting his plate aside.

"Nothing," she said, frowning at him. "Why would anything be wrong?"

"Because it's obvious-"

"Just keep your thoughts to yourself, okay? I don't care to know them."

He raised his eyebrows, but otherwise didn't seem surprised like he used to be.

"I'm pretty aware of that, but there must be something I can do to make it better at least. Maybe just be an open ear… hey, I'm just trying to make this as comfortable as possible. I know that right now it's not exactly good between us, but I'm willing to try," he said. "There has to be something I can do."

"There's not," she said curtly.

"Jinora-"

"Right now, the only thing I care about from you is the mess you made. Look at this place!" She stood up now, gesturing to the kitchen counter covered in flour. Flour that she was going to have to clean up where he'd been so careless. "It's a disaster! God, twenty-nine years old and you still need someone to clean up after you!"

Kai actually looked taken aback. Offended even.

"I'm going to clean it up," he said, getting up and putting his plate in the sink. "I was just trying to do something for the kids and for you. It's not-"

"It's a complete mess in here. Spirits, just- can't you do anything!?"

" _Damn it, Jinora,I'm trying._ "

Jinora's head whipped around in his direction as he stood straight up, throwing his arms up. He narrowed his eyes at her, frowning deeply. Across the table from her he stood, scowling, apparently finally having reached his limit with her. So what? So what if he didn't like what she had to say?

He deserved every venomous word.

"I don't care-"

"I know you don't!" he snapped. "I am so very aware that you don't care! I know you hate my guts with a burning passion! I get it! I get it, Jinora!"

"Oh, yeah!?" she came around the kitchen table to be face to face with him. "You think you really get it-"

"Yeah, I do! Nothing I ever do is going to be good enough for you! Nothing! Not now and not ever! But you know what? I'm trying! And I could really do with some cooperation here! I don't know what you want me to do!" he said, raising his voice. "But you're so busy being bitter-"

"Bitter?" cried Jinora, almost shrilly. "I wonder who made me that way!"

"I know what I did, but I can't make up for it if all you want to do is give me the cold shoulder!"

"That's what you get!" she yelled in his face. "You left! You left and everything here is your fault!"

"Not everything!"

She actually went silent at that.

No everything…?

Not everything?

How _dare_ he-

"Of course everything's your fault! How is it not-"

"I didn't lose the kids! How the hell was it my fault that the kids were lost after I-"

Something inside Jinora's chest cracked wide open and out spilled energy hot on rage and contempt for the man who left her and their three children. How dare he? _How dare he?_ _**How dare he?**_ This piece of scum who didn't even deserve to walk the earth let alone be in the presence of those said three children.

" _THAT WAS ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT!"_ Jinora shouted at the top of your lungs. "ALL OF IT! YOU LEFT AND YOU LEFT US WITH-"

"AND YOU WON'T EVEN LET ME EXPLAIN WHY I LEFT! WHY SHOULD I LET YOU EXPLAIN AWAY HOW THE KIDS GOT TAKEN AWAY?"

Jinora's hand flung before she even knew what she was doing, but she had no regrets after her hand met his cheek. In fact, she did it again with a resounding _smack_. When she pulled back to do it a third time, he caught her her hand and she pushed him away.

She seethed. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream and hit him and everything else under the sun. A bitter toxin had built up in her since the day she realized he was never coming back, but now here he was. Here he was standing there with the gall to _blame her_ for the government taking away their children.

He _left._

 _Why the fuck did he still care?_

"I hope you just go somewhere and _die,_ " she hissed at him, turning when she heard someone gasp. Nima stood there with her hand over her mouth, but Jinora could barely register her daughter's presence.

"..mama?" she asked in a small voice, Rama and Taani peeking from around their older sister. Jinora could hear Kai panting slightly from their sudden shouting match and he sighed.

"Kids, mommy and I are fine," he said weakly.

"But..."

And then Jinora just couldn't take it.

She walked swiftly away from Kai - _anything_ not to be near him right now - and grabbed her coat as she walked toward the door. Kai was saying something to her and so was Rama, but she couldn't hear them. Rather, she tried her best not to. It hurt too much to be reminded who those voices belonged to.

She muttered something to the kids about being good at school before shutting the door behind her, forgetting nor caring where she was supposed to be going.

-:-:-:-

"Daddy, I can walk to school by myself. I'll take Rama and Taani. It's fine. I've done it loads of times," said Nima for the hundredth time. Her father kept on calling her mother, but she wasn't answering and Nima knew she was _refusing_ to answer because, from what Nima had seen, her mother always answered her phone.

Her father frowned at her, and knelt down to her level.

"...are you _sure?_ " he asked. "Daddy's running late for his job interview otherwise I'd definitely take you. You know that, right?"

Nima nodded.

"It's okay, Daddy. Zuko let us walk whenever he had important mayor stuff to do. I know the way even from here."

After a moment, he smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Okay," he said. "If you're sure. I'll call the school to make sure you're there."

She nodded again and took her brother and sister's hands as they walked out the door, Rama waving back at their father who left speedily in his car. Nima was very used to this and had been used to walking to school by herself even _before_ Fablebrooke. Most of their former foster homes didn't have people who walked her to school anyway. Up until this year, Nima always walked by herself. After she'd been taken from her mom, it seemed like no one thought it necessary. That, or like her father, they simply couldn't. Anyway, Fablebrooke was a much easier neighborhood to walk through. No need to take long routes to avoid certain streets or finding certain hiding places in case she saw certain people coming her way from a distance. No watching out for people who seemed like they weren't very nice.

Even before her mom had come back, Nima had already made note of the route to school. She'd asked Zuko to take her so she could memorize it, knowing full well that he would probably be too busy to walk with her. When he'd insisted that he'd just drive them, she wondered what made him want to do that.

Nobody else before him had bothered to even when she asked because it was raining outside or because it was cold. She was used to this. Still, she insisted that she'd learn the routes anyway.

He called her responsible, but she didn't really know why he might say that. Who else was going to make sure Rama and Taani got to school safely?

Before Zuko, she made sure they got fed, that they had clean clothes, that they weren't too sick, that they got to bed on time, that they took their naps when they were cranky. She made sure they brushed their teeth before bed and had the right stuffed animal for the night. When they had bad dreams, she made sure they could get to her bedroom and that she had room in her bed for them both because she knew that when one of them left their room, the other was going to come find them. She changed their diapers when they were still just two year olds learning how to potty train, she bathed them, helped them get better when they were sick. And that was just the stuff that she could remember. Most of the time she didn't even think about it.

They were all just things her parents did for her.

If they weren't going to be able to take care of Rama and Taani then nobody else was going to, right?

It was an easy feat to drop Rama and Taani off at their classroom though she almost ran late for her own. That was okay. She still made it on time. Lunch came and she realized that her mom hadn't packed it like she was supposed to. That made her a little sad, having settled for a bag of chips a friend didn't want. Food was something she usually really looked forward to in the day and she really needed it today, considering how her parents that morning…

With no real food in her stomach, it was hard to think about anything _but_. She was supposed to be writing her essay Miss Hee had assigned them, but all she could think about was getting a bite to eat. The sooner the day was over, the better, at this point. When it finally did end, her father, thankfully, picked them up promptly.

"Mom?" called Nima when they got home. No one answered and she looked at her father. "Mom's not home?"

His smile was strained.

"Sorry, baby girl. She's working late tonight."

"Oh…" she said, her shoulder slumped.

He patted her on top of the head.

"But it's only for tonight. Don't worry."

That night, her mother came home almost close to their bedtime. Immediately, Nima, Rama and Taani all went to show her what they did at school that day.

And she seemed like she was trying to pay attention; she really did. She looked on at Rama and Taani's art projects fondly and promised to put them on the noisy old fridge, and her eyes scanned the first page of Nima's rough draft, smiling and noting that they both shared a gift with words. But her eyes seemed tired, and not completely there. Nima tried not to notice the spark of irritation that almost completely overtook their mother every time she looked back up at their father.

What Nima thought would subside in some capacity, did not. Her parents bickered late at night about one thing or another, finding something to snap about. They didn't shout like that one day, but her mother always seemed to find something about her father to criticize and, sometimes, her father criticized back. A few days afterwards, her parents hadn't even gotten up - probably tired from biting at each other - and Nima had been the first one to get up out of habit from making sure the twins were taken care of in the morning. That day, she packed a meager lunch for herself and the twins - they had snacks in kindergarten anyway - had only been able to pack quick snacks. She assured her father, again, that she could easily walk to school by herself now that he'd gotten a job that required him to work early in the morning. Her mother, on the other hand, had disappeared as fast as she could once she and Nima's father were in the same room. When they came home, the time was tense, neither of their parents saying so much as a word to each other and, when they did, it usually resulted in her mother snapping at her father about something.

The thing was though that the days wore on like this.

After a few days, Nima had gotten used to waking up by herself and getting the twins ready for school. She was getting used to waking her parents up. She was getting used to them staying up late because of something related to be mad at each other. These days, there were always mad at each other. Or rather, her mother always _wanted_ to be mad at her father it seemed, never smiling at him or even trying to be polite with him and they generally ignored each other.

However, Nima hardly noticed. Some days, she wasn't making herself lunch. She didn't have time even when her mother _did_ take her to school. Often, it was in silence. Was her mother mad at them? She hadn't been able to think too much on that either. When they came home, the twins would always end up being hungry and it was Nima who got up from her homework to make them a snack - her parents were too busy ignoring each other in their own rooms and wrapped up in their laptops. It would get late and she would have to go tug on her mother or her father to ask what was for dinner to which it seemed like they had forgotten what time it was and immediately get up to cook. After the fourth day of having to do this, she stopped going to ask and just pulled out whatever was in the fridge. The twins would eat salad for dinner after all and she'd cooked them a thousand grilled cheese sandwiches over the years. Neither of her parents minded. In fact, they appreciated it, calling her that word again: responsible.

While it seemed like her parents always _meant_ to do things, they always got stopped by each other. Her mother couldn't look at her father and it always seemed to upset her father so much he just kind of didn't know what to do. And Nima hated to remind them to do stuff like the laundry and dinner and walking with them to school when they were upset at each other. They always looked so guilty and sad when she did that, apologizing two, three, four times for seemingly forgetting something important. Nima hated that. She hated to make them feel bad.

So she just did whatever it is they forgot.

By the second or third week - it was hard to keep track - Nima was making dinner most nights. She reasoned to both of them that she simply liked to cook rather than see the guilty expressions on their faces if she told them that she didn't want them to get upset anymore, even if it was with themselves. She did the laundry. Her own and the twins. Her parents didn't seem to notice the twins always had clean clothes. They seemed to lose track of time as well. She prepared her own lunch as well as the twins, made their beds when they came home - otherwise, Rama would pout about it when it was time for bed - did her homework, made sure the twins got bathed, made sure the twins picked up their toys, cleaned their rooms when it got too dusty - Taani hated it when things were really dusty - read to them when their father seemed too sad to read to them and that was just the things she noticed herself doing.

Nima also got up early to make sure her parents got up for work on time. She put together their lunches before her own sometimes, earning pleasing smiles and kisses that would probably be the only time they smiled in the house that day. Sometimes, she made their beds too, knowing they wouldn't remember to and she hoped sleeping on clean and neat sheets might make them feel better. When she made dinner, sometimes she tried to make enough for them so they wouldn't have to cook. Afterwards, she cleaned the kitchen so they wouldn't have to.

And after all this, they wouldn't usually notice. They were usually too busy being upset at each other and when they did notice? She always made some excuse. Anything so that they wouldn't feel like they failed her. After all, she'd been done all these things before for the twins. For the foster parents before Zuko who weren't as nice as him or her parents.

Surely… _surely_ they would stop sometime. Surely, after five years they would work. That they couldn't just stay mad at each other all the time. Wouldn't they get tired from being mad? They had to be tired. She was tired and she wasn't even mad. Scared maybe, but not mad. How long had she waited for them to all live together again? But it seemed impossible to do so without them being upset for one reason or another. It didn't used to be this way…

Yes, this wouldn't last much longer. Surely, it wouldn't.

It couldn't.

Until then, she was fine picking up some chores, really she was. She told herself in the waning days that this was easy. Lots of people were tired every day. Why should she complain?

And then there was the fact that she'd done far worse than this. Being a little, maybe a lot, tired was nothing compared to what she had done for the twins before.

At least she wasn't in pain.

At least she didn't have to go to the hospital for this.

-:-:-:-

"So this first week with your parents has been…?"

Nima stared at Pabu, her vision growing hazy as she tried to search for the right words. His red hair seemed to flicker like a flame in her periphery.

"...Okay," she said feebly, her vision focusing back to him just enough to see him raise an eyebrow.

Therapists weren't supposed to judge. That was the cardinal rule of being a therapist, Pabu had said during one of their first sessions together nearly a year ago.

But Nima couldn't help noting that that eyebrow felt just the tiniest bit judgey.

"Nima, you know what I'm going to ask by now," Pabu said, a soft, knowing smile turning his mouth upwards. She felt a little more at ease again.

"I know, I know. Elaborate. They...they're not… It's not what I expected, I guess," Nima mumbled, rubbing her hands on her jeans.

Pabu tilted his head at her questioningly. "Well, what did you expect?"

"I already told you," Nima said, remembering two sessions ago when she couldn't find it in her to shut up about how excited she was for them to be moving in together.

"I know," Pabu said patiently, and Nima let out the smallest huff.

"I expected them to...I don't know, be… It's like they're so busy being mad that they forget about everything else, and I'm trying so hard to make everything okay, but nothing...nothing is working."

"They've been apart for five years," Pabu said simply, but softly. "It was bound to be a little rough at first-"

"I don't know what to do anymore," Nima said, her voice cracking against the lump rising in her throat. "I thought I got what I wanted but it isn't right and I'm trying to be good but they're always-" A tear trickled down her cheek and she wiped it furiously. "I just wish I could keep their attention, somehow."

Pabu's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Nima, if you're considering doing anything on the level of what you've done in previous foster homes-"

"No, no," Nima said quickly, unwilling to admit that her mind had began to wander down that road. Not anything worth of a hospital visit, just...something that would keep her parents talking to one another. Not yelling, talking. "I promised I wouldn't do that anymore. I was just...thinking out loud."

"Nima…" Pabu sighed sadly, leaning a little to look her in the eye. "Grown-ups are...complicated. You'd think we'd be better at handling our emotions and worries by now, but...sometimes, some of us get worse. And we pretend to know what we're doing, but sometimes, if we're under a lot of stress or undergoing a significant change in our lives, we'll lash out or neglect the things and people we care about. We really don't become much different than when we were children. Just more afraid, in some ways. Your parents are going to need some time to adjust to being together again, and it sounds like there's a lot of hurt there. But just because things aren't going the way you expected, doesn't mean it's your fault. Okay?"

Nima nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Good." Pabu smiled again, leaning back a little into his chair once more. "Now, you've been making sure to take care of yourself throughout all this? Some people - and, historically, I have observed you falling into this pattern - become self-negligent when they're dealing with some big stressor in their lives."

"I'm fine," Nima said a little too cheerfully, and she supposed she was, as much as she could be. Taking care of four other people made it hard to remember to take care of herself, she supposed. "I eat enough and I do my homework and play with the twins and I take naps whenever I can. I really like the naps."

"And it's not affecting your normal sleeping patterns at all?" Pabu checked.

"No! No," Nima said, sincere this time. "Really."

Pabu smiled again. "Good. Anything else you wanted to share?"

She nodded, going on about whatever else was on her mind - school was still okay, at least having Miss Hee around made things a little more fun, her father allowed her and her siblings to get as much bubble tea as they wanted now, and overall, things weren't so bad.

And really, she thought to herself, they weren't, considering everything that had happened recently.

Right?

* * *

I'm going to go ahead and let this chapter sink in on it's own. A lot of angst and conflict building up that's important here. Jinora's really venomous and for everybody who wanted Kai to not be forgiven too quickly, oh, trust me, he won't be.

As always, guys we love it when you leave those reviews! They really keep us motivated and keep us writing! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	9. Breaking

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

This fic is co-written by kuno-chan and spiritypowers.

* * *

 **Breaking**

* * *

Nima was in the middle of the story of the princess who was destined to become the Savior, both twins nestled into her side as she read, trying her best to imitate her father's soothing tone of voice. Sleep began to take her, but she fought it, resolving to finish up the story and tucking the twins in before dozing off, just in case her parents were too busy to again, when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," said Nima sleepily, and the door opened to reveal her mother, a cautious smile on her face. Nima immediately brightened.

"Sorry, am I late to story time?" her mother asked softly.

Nima resisted the urge to shrug and instead smiled brightly.

"It's okay," she said, more cheerful than how she actually felt. "They were really sleepy anyway so I just went ahead and started."

"Oh…" her mother smiled. "Okay. Well, I guess it's time for bed for you, isn't it?"

Yes, it was and she was so glad of it. Nima nodded, making sure that Taani had the right stuffed rabbit under her arm - she would be very upset if she had the wrong animal - and let her mother steer her to bed. She kissed her father goodnight on the way, much to the obvious dismay of her mother, before going in and slipping into bed. At a point, she barely registered her mother's voice and good night kiss, her eyes drifting asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"Mom…?" she asked through a yawn.

"Yes, baby girl?"

"We really need to talk about the curse… it's gotta get broken soon…"

"Tomorrow, sweetheart. Tomorrow. Right now, sleep."

"But…" She yawned again. Wow, doing the twins' laundry really took it out of her today. But that was okay. Anything to make it easier on her parents since they were both rather upset at each other again today.

"Sleep now," her mother said soothingly and Nima couldn't help it. She drifted away at the sound of her mother's voice so soft and quiet, unable to even think of what the twins were going to wear tomorrow for school.

Both her parents hadn't bothered to take it out quite yet themselves.

-:-:-:-

Dinner was lovely.

Maybe it was a little soon for a dinner date in her apartment, but it was hard to pass up the offer of having everything cooked - where had Tenzin even learned to cook? He said he wasn't sure either, just that he could follow a recipe well enough - and the table set out so neatly, with a vase of fresh red roses perfectly placed in the center.

For once, Pema's tiny apartment felt like more than just a place for some worn-out elementary school teacher to crash at night. For once, it really felt like home.

"Thanks again," Pema said, smoothing out the skirt of the yellow dress she was wearing over her knees. Her hair was done up in a neat bun for once, and her favorite pendant, a burnt orange gem inlaid with gold, dangled from around her neck.

It wasn't like this was her first time dressing up, and it was far from her first getting dressed up for a date, but somehow, she didn't feel made up. She felt polished, like all the grime of life's daily stresses had been washed away. Like she could show her true self, beautiful and shining in all her glory. And maybe it was because she was with him.

No, it was _definitely_ because she was with him.

Not like she could express that on the third date. Why was she thinking this on the third date? This was crazy. She was crazy.

Maybe it was the shock of having a man come to her apartment just to cook her dinner and not just to go to bed with her for one fleeting night. Maybe that was it.

Spirits, she needed to pick better.

Although judging from her company sitting at the opposite side of the table, smiling warmly and perfectly at ease even in his dress shirt, she supposed this was a good start.

"It's an absolute pleasure," Tenzin said sincerely, and his smile reached up to his grey eyes, the light in them almost melting away any age, and Pema swore she caught some of that light within her, too.

"Really, thank you," Pema repeated again. "I know it's been busy, what with you settling into town and still trying to figure out what happened before you…"

"It's fine," Tenzin replied. "Honestly, I needed a break from all of that. I am glad to be getting settled working at the antique shop and everyone here has been very kind helping me adjust, but it's so much sometimes. And over the past month, the only thing that's really felt familiar is spending time with you."

Pema flushed, feeling very much like a middle school girl who'd just gotten her first Valentine. "Well, the past month has been lovely."

"It really has," Tenzin agreed, his grey eyes warm like the sky at the first break of dawn. "Anyway, how was your day with your students?"

She went through the day's events - she'd had to have a talk with some of the boys about drawing on the walls in the bathrooms, and she had been an audience to a rather important kickball game during her duty out at recess - and something about being listened to was both new and familiar all at the same time, and she couldn't quite place her finger on why.

All she knew was that this was different. She'd only known him for a month, but Spirits, this was so different in the best possible way. And while there was a slight fluttering in her stomach at the sight of him, it was never that sparkling, bubbly high that had always let her down in the past. It was a warm glow, in her chest, maybe in her heart, a comfort and a security that she was sure she'd never felt before, despite its familiarity.

Not that she could actually express any of this on the _third date_. (What was wrong with her these days?)

But this was easy and comfortable in the best way, and she decided to sink into it, as the night went on with good food and easy laughter.

Yeah. She could get used to this.

-:-:-:-

"You've got to quit leaving all your books around the house," said Kai, throwing a stack of three books onto Jinora's bed. "They're piling up."

Jinora snorted.

"Yeah, you're the _last_ person who should be lecturing me about mess," she said snappily. God, who did he think he was? Sometimes - all the time - he just really got on her nerves.

"I'm not _lecturing_ you," growled Kai. "I'm just saying. It gets a little-"

"Yeah, so does your mess of clothes on the floor-"

" _My_ floor. In _my_ room. Besides, I've just haven't had time to go find a hamper. As soon as I get one it'll be taken care of, I promise you. Now, will you quit-"

"No."

She felt his stare on her as she continued to read casually. Quite frankly, she didn't have to do anything. If anything, she could do whatever she wanted and he could deal with it. Just like she had to deal with everything he'd done to her.

"You know what? I don't even know why I bother with you. I can try until I'm blue in the face, but you'll never let up, will you? Not for me, not for the kids, not for a single soul in this world but yourself. And I'm sorry. I really am," he said his voice getting quieter, but no less firm. "Because I did that to you-"

That made her almost look up, but she pointedly kept her attention on her book.

"-but that still can't excuse you every time you decide to be selfish."

Something in her limbs lit up and she nearly threw herself off the bed to walk after him, get in his face, do _something_ to show him she was the last person he wanted to talk to about being selfish.

" _I'm_ being selfish? You're the one that's-"

But he already had his back to her and was walking out of her room.

"I don't want to hear it," he said then slammed the door in her face.

For the first time, she didn't exactly have the strength to run after him and yell at him. They'd done that most of the day with each other and the children were sleeping. She was also fairly tired and she didn't have the _energy_.

Of course, that was exactly what it was, she told herself.

Just the energy. Had the children not been asleep and she been a bit more rested she would have contested with him about that.

Herself selfish indeed.

The nerve of him.

Jinora turned off the lights before turning onto her side, fumbling with the covers. She shut her eyes tight, determined not to give his words any weight. His words didn't deserve weight. Not after five years of silence.

It was surprisingly hard to get to sleep.

-:-:-:-

"Rough week?"

Pema's light, gentle voice cut through the noisy clutter of her mind and Jinora set down her tea, releasing a long, heavy sigh. "Is it that obvious?"

"The most meticulous person I know stepped foot out of the house sporting an impressive bedhead and the most alarming undereye bags I've ever seen. And this is coming from an elementary school teacher."

Jinora snorted softly through her nose, taking a long sip of tea. "You know, five years ago I would've given anything to have Kai under the same roof as me again."

Pema smiled at her sadly. "And now?"

"Now things have soured between us too much. Between...our family," she said, grumbling out the last couple of words.

"I don't really know the situation, but it seems like he's trying his best," Pema said quietly, immediately taking a sip of her tea once the words had slipped out. Jinora raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Dropping from the face of the earth is not 'trying your best'," Jinora said, attempting to keep her voice even. "And everything he does is just so... _disruptive_ in our lives and he constantly finds some way to vilify me and he just acts so entitled to the kids when _he_ left _them_ -"

"Have you ever asked him why he left?"

Jinora's gaze dropped down to her half-empty mug. "Why should I?" Her voice was a soft, almost petulant grumble, and it took everything in Pema not to laugh.

"Why would someone come back after five years and pay in blood, sweat and tears to get back into the good graces of his former wife-"

"Common law, it hardly counts," Jinora cut in.

"-a woman he was _committed to_ , regardless of legal standing - and his three children? Most people would just stay away after that amount of time. It's a valid question."

"Guilt. Loneliness. To spite me."

Pema didn't even stop herself from laughing at the last option listed. "You know that's not it."

"It sure feels like it," Jinora mumbled, taking another sip of her tea. "Anyway, enough about my life. Please tell me good things are happening to you, at least."

Pema's smile grew soft, and she stared at the rim of her empty mug, playing with the end of one of the unused napkins on the table. "Actually, things have taken...a nice change of pace."

Despite the bags under her eyes, Jinora smiled. "Things with Tenzin going well?"

"It's like we've known each other for decades," Pema mused, folding a corner of her napkin over. "Sorry, I know that's the most cheesy and cliche thing ever - he's just so thoughtful, about...everything. It's like...like I'm home." She shook her head, her cheeks taking on a flushed glow. "Okay, that was _definitely_ cheesy and cliche, and I know it hasn't been that long, it's just...so different in the best way."

"Good," Jinora said sincerely, finishing off her tea. "I'm really glad he's making you so happy. God knows you deserve this after all the assholes in the past."

"You don't think it's too soon for me to be feeling this...strongly? Especially for someone who's, like, fifteen years older than me? He never _acts_ older than me, but everyone around me seems to keep reminding me of it even though we're _both adults_ and maybe it's just because I'm sinking in so deep so fast but I know when a thing feels right and-"

"You don't have to justify yourself to me," Jinora laughed. "I trust your judgment, and he seems like a great guy. A little stiff, but from what I've seen of him, he really cares about you."

"You...really? I mean, we've both been wrong about guys-"

"Just because I'm negative about that aspect of my life doesn't mean you get to be about yours," Jinora said.

Pema let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Jinora. I hope everything sorts itself out for you, too."

"Wishful thinking, but thanks," she murmured, a wry smile on her face.

-:-:-:-

"Nima, sweetie, why are you cleaning the floor?"

Nima didn't look up as her mother came into the door and continued to scrub.

"Rama spilled his cereal," she said automatically. "But it had chocolate in it so I need to get it out before it stains the tiles."

Jinora frowned. She was so tired. So, so tired. Pema and her had been reorganizing the books _all day_ and they weren't even done and now she was coming home to this? Where was Kai and why wasn't he doing it? God, he was just _useless_ , wasn't he? Probably on his laptop again while their ten year old was scrubbing the tiles on the floor. She looked up at the stove. Nothing. In the oven, however, was what looked like some kind of potato bake thing.

"Where's your father?"

"He's not home yet."

Jinora stopped dead in her tracks, her purse dropping onto the couch. _What?_ He was supposed to be off at three!

"Then how did you get home?"

Nima just shook her head. "We walked," she said quickly.

"You _what?_ "

-:-:-:-

And that was when Nima knew she said the wrong thing. She should have said he went out or something, but she hadn't been able to pay much attention to her mother just come home. Her hand was stinging from where she burned herself on the oven putting the potato cheese bake in before it got too late. The oven was just so big compared to her sometimes. The kitchen had been a mess after she was done preparing it and she'd nearly finished cleaning it all up when Rama wanted cereal and then proceeded to _spill it_ on the floor and she nearly screamed. But he still wanted cereal so she got him another bowl and had sat him down at the table where he wouldn't make a mess while she cleaned up her own mess really quickly before remembering that chocolate milk _stained_ white tiles.

 _Ane she hadn't even touched her own homework and she still had to make sure she cleaned up the rest of the mess from making dinner._

 _And she was so exhausted from the cold outside. It'd been a nightmare walking home with all the snow on the ground and making sure the twins didn't slip._

 _And she just wanted to take a nap._

"We're used to walking," Nima said quickly. "I like walking. It's okay. You and Daddy were busy. It's okay."

It was that moment that her father chose to walk in. She could have cried when he saw the scene and her mother turned to face him. Oh no.

No, no, _no_.

"What's-"

" _You didn't pick them up from school today?_ "

Her mother was already shouting. God, no, please. Nima felt her breath catch in her chest. Just _please_ don't, she thought, still on her hands and knees.

He frowned, taken aback from her mother's sudden tone of accusation. "I thought you were picking them up?"

" _How can I pick them up if I get off at five?"_

"First of all, lower your voice," he growled. "Second of all, same question to _you_. I _told y_ ou that I had to work late tonight. You said you would take care of it!"

" _Since when? I don't remember any of that-"_

Her father put his stuff down. " _Well, of course you didn't! Why would you listen to anything but what comes out of your own mouth?"_

Nima felt something inside the cavity of her chest squeeze her tight. No, _why?_

 _Why? Why this?_

She was still on her hands and knees, her hands burning from soap and from the raw skin on her hand, the milk was still on the floor and her knees and back were aching. Getting on her feet, she turned off the stove, not looking at either of her parents, but still painfully aware of the volume of their voices.

 _This wasn't how it used to be_ , she screamed in her head. They used to never do this and now that was _all_ they did. After her father left and after her mother was gone, this was all she'd dreamed of them. Them together under one roof again, but her mind could barely take a minute of it because of how much they just seemed to _despise_ each other. Each second they did this, her dreams shattered.

Dreams she had held for _three years_. Dreams that kept her from crumbling to pieces because _she always knew Mom and Dad were going to take care of them as soon as they all got together again._

Of course they would. That's what parents did. They took of care of their kids. But they weren't able to do it, so _somebody_ needed to take care of the twins and she was the best substitute. She had _prayed and waited_ for the day to come when they would all be together again, but now she just always wanted to scream.

Her dreams were spilled all over the floor like the milk being sloppily mopped up because a _real_ mop was just too tall for her to use. Where had all her wishes gone? All her daydreaming about the life she used to have when she was dead tired from having to cook dinner seven nights a week because Mr. Yangzhi, a former foster parent of theirs, used to do nothing but sleep all day. Sleep _and_ drink if it was the weekend.

Why were her dreams in tatters when she had to stay up with the twins at night because one of them had a nightmare and refused to go back to sleep? What did she do _to deserve this?_

She glanced back at her parents, pacing around the room and shouting at each other. They were both so angry at each other, but she didn't _understand_. They _both left_.

 _Why did her father leave? Why didn't her mother find them? Why was this her life now?_

And when it hit her, she nearly dropped the dinner pulling it out of the oven. She set it on the counter mindlessly as her thoughts roamed around one idea: This was her life now.

Her parents, it seemed, would _never_ stop being mad at each other. Her brother and sister would _always_ have to look to her for _everything_. At least, they'd be doing so for a long time. Until they could do it for themselves. _Nobody_ ever wanted to _talk_ about why they were like this. It just was.

And she was supposed to accept this.

All of her dreams, wishes and daydreaming… she had just had _one_ wish and her mind flashed back to the videos and pictures of them together in their small apartment way back when. Back before everybody whose hand she needed to hold just up and _vanished_ and _never came back_.

And those people. Those times were _never_ going to come back.

Were they?

She was stuck in this ongoing cycle of tired and hoping and tears for no reason and just always hurting for the sake of hurting because pain was a useful tool to making things move along when she needed it and-

She choked on something in her throat. A bitter, spicy kind of panic as if her voice box had broken open and something hot was spilling through the muscles in her neck and melting into her veins.

She was going to scream bloody murder, biting down on her lip as tears burned her cheeks and her bones felt like shattering and her chest was going to break open from a pent up rage and undying anticipation at just the _whole world and her whole life as it was and-_

 _And it was always going to hurt like this._

-:-:-:-

" _You were supposed to pick them up! If you didn't hear me when I said-"_

" _You said you had it!"_

Jinora's head had never ached so much. She could practically feel herself beginning to explode, a pressure digging into her temples with each word out of Kai's mouth.

"I said I'd take care of _everything else_. God, Jinora, can't you get over yourself long enough to listen to me _for once?_ "

"All I heard was you saying you _had it_ , I fucking _swear_ you always do this-"

"Don't _turn this on me when you_ -"

"Mommy?"

Both their heads whipped in Rama's direction, Taani standing next to him with her stuffed rabbit tucked under her arm and hiding pointedly behind her brother.

Jinora held a hand to her head, her voice rough from yelling even as she tried to lower it. "Yes, sweetie?"

"We can't find Nima."

Jinora frowned. "What?"

"She walked out the door after Daddy got home and she hasn't come back," Rama pouted.

"She just... _left_?" Jinora shared a glance with Kai, their eyes bright with something that for once wasn't anger: fear.

"Is she gonna come back soon?" Rama asked.

Jinora exchanged a look with Kai, a silent agreement passing between the two of them as she nodded at him before grabbing the nearest coat.

"Kids, go with Daddy, he's gonna have Zuko take care of you till we both come back with Nima, okay?" She tried to keep her voice level, but couldn't get herself to stop shaking as she pulled on her coat. God, how hadn't she noticed that Nima had even left? Where would she even go?

"Call me and I'll meet up with you?" Kai checked.

"Yes," Jinora said, her voice lacking its usual malice as fear set in.

Their daughter was missing.

* * *

I haven't updated this in _ages_. I'm sorry it took 6 months to get this out there. Now that it's summer, hopefully, we'll get more chapters in the queue. After this there's this 1 more complete chapter in the queue and we're working on the 11th chapter. This chapter and next serve as a serious turning point for the family.

Also, for anyone who wants to keep updated or ask questions, feel free to visit my tumblr, name being kuno-chan.

As always, guys we love it when you leave those reviews! They really keep us motivated and motivated to keep writing! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	10. Blistering Hearts

This fic is also on my tumblr blog where my username is Kuno-chan and my blog name is Dragoness Ramblings.

Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

This fic is co-writtern by kuno-chan and spiritypowers.

* * *

 **Blistering Heart**

* * *

"Where the hell _is_ she?"

Jinora checked her phone for the thirtieth time in fifteen minutes, praying that a text message from Kai with good news would pop up anytime soon.

Nima couldn't have gotten very far. It was a small town after all, Jinora reasoned. She wanted to believe that her daughter was somewhere nice and safe and warm. Not out in this blistering cold air with nothing on but some long pants, long sleeve lounge clothes. The first place Jinora had checked was the library, but nobody was there. After wasting a good five minutes searching there, she walked to the tea shop, popping in just long enough to see if her daughter was in there before frantically popping back out and walking down the street. She couldn't be at Zuko's house, Kai would have called her by then. She couldn't be at school. School was closed.

But Jinora went down past the school playground anyway, ready to burst into tears when she saw not a soul. She walked to and fro, the cold biting at the skin of her face. Oh, God, what if somebody had picked her up? What if she'd been kidnapped? Fablebrooke may have been a small town, but it wasn't like _she knew everybody_ -

Her phone vibrated in her hand and she turned it over so fast that it nearly slipped out of her hands:

 _Park. Now_.

Without another delay, Jinora raced off to the only park she knew. The one Nima had saw her punch Kai at.

She could already see Kai once she got there. As he looked at something in the distance, he glanced at her.

"...baby girl, come on! Walk over here! Slowly," he called. "Nima, _please_."

Kai was edging onto the ice in the middle of the park, the ice underneath his feet crunched from the snow on top of it. Jinora reached out a hand as if to help steady him, but she froze, eyes widening at her the sight of Nima in her purple lounge clothes and little fuzzy socks, frigid wind brushing through her hair as she stood near the middle of the frozen pond.

Jinora's heart sank to her throat like lead. How had she gotten out that far? Why was she out there at all?

How had they not noticed she was gone to begin with?

The cold air blew flurries of ice across the lake, still clear enough to see water through where snow wasn't covering it - Jinora saw some fallen foliage floating just under the ice. Jinora took a step on the ice, retracting her foot immediately as hairline cracks ran out from under her weight. She looked at the ice under Kai's feet, which already had some larger cracks beneath, but still held him somewhat-solid along the more frozen edge of the ice. Nima, at the weakened center of the lake, however… Jinora's blood chilled as she looked up again at her daughter, and nearly flinched at the loud cracking noises under Nima's feet as she shuffled them.

"Nima!" Jinora called. "Baby, what are you doing!? Come over here, please!"

She could see Nima shaking her head, her face scrunched up from either the cold or something else as she hugged herself. Jinora's stomach lurched, calling out again. "Nima!"

" _I don't want to!_ " Nima shouted harshly. " _ **Go away!**_ "

"Baby, we can't do that," Kai told her. Jinora could see him taking small, but sure steps toward Nima as he spoke. "Look, come on over here and you can tell us what's wrong, okay? Can you do that?"

" _I DON'T WANT TO!_ " Nima shouted far louder this time. She was holding herself tight, tight and rocking side to side as if she didn't know what else to do with herself.

Biting her lip, Jinora took a step on the ice, her heart nearly jumping through her ribs when a crack appeared. She wouldn't walk too far lest the ice collapse from the weight of three bodies, but she would walk far enough. Far enough so that her daughter could get a closer look at her face. Maybe that would help. Maybe.

"Then, tell us now, baby," said Jinora. "Tell us what's wrong. We'll take care of it! We promise!"

That seemed to tick something in Nima because she stamped both her feet and Jinora nearly screamed when a cracking sound reached her ears.

 _God, just don't let her fall. Raava, don't let her fall_.

It was all Jinora could think just to keep her own focus on the task at hand. If she could just go over there and grab Nima then they could talk to their hearts' content, but she knew there was no doing that otherwise Kai would have done it already. Irresponsible he may have been, a scumbag even… maybe...

But he wasn't about to put their children in danger and Nima was probably in the most danger she'd ever been.

Don't fall. Don't fall. _Don't fall_ , Jinora repeated to herself.

"Nima, please!" Kai instinctively reached out despite the distance when Nima stomped her feet on the ice. "Don't! We can-"

Nima shouted at them so loud, so viciously and hoarsely that her face was turning red underneath her light brown skin, her tone shrill as could be, a tantrum spilling out like molten lava. It was terrible and ruthless and, by god, it was going to be heard. " _I WAS MOM! AND I WAS DAD!_ " Nima roared, stomping her foot down hard again. " _I DID EVERTHING! I COOKED FOR THE TWINS! I CLEANED FOR THE TWINS! I DID THEIR CLOTHES! I WAS MOM! I WAS DAD! NOT YOU! ME!_ _ **YOU LEFT ME!**_ "

Jinora's stomach sank and something about it made her feel sick. She looked over at Kai, his arms limp at his side. The blow had been hard for him, too.

 _I was Mom and I was Dad._

Nima had said mom _and_ dad. That much was clear.

Jinora attempted to appease her. "Baby, we-"

" _YOU BOTH LEFT ME! YOU NEVER CAME TO FIND US! WHERE WERE YOU?_ _ **I NEEDED YOU!**_ _I STILL COOK FOR THE TWINS AND CLEAN FOR THE TWINS AND TAKE CARE OF THE TWINS BECAUSE YOU WON'T! I'M MOM! I'M DAD! I DO EVERYTHING AND I TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING AND I TAKE CARE OF THE BOTH OF YOU! THIS ISN'T FAIR! I'M TIRED. I'M ALWAYS TIRED AND ALL YOU DO IS YELL."_

It was so hard to concentrate when Nima kept stomping her foot, each harsh footfall making some kind of cracking sound that had Jinora squeaking. Even from her position she could see Nima's huffing chest. She was exhausted. From the cold and from all the shouting. If they could just get her off that ice, she could shout all she wanted and however she wanted. Kai was still inching toward her, ever closer and Jinora was following his lead, little by little.

This wasn't just some tantrum, she knew. This wasn't just something born out of a bad day. Nima was mad at them _both_. That was fine. Jinora could take that. If she could just get off _the damned ice-_

"Nima. Baby girl," called Kai again. He took another small step. "I _promise_ you we can talk about this. We'll make it better somehow. Just _please_. You can rest! You can do whatever you want! Just, Nima, _please_. We are _begging_ you, honey-"

"EVERYBODY MAKES ME TIRED! EVERYTHING MAKES ME TIRED!" Nima stomped her feet again and again and again, releasing herself from her hug and clenching her fists at her side. "I DO EVERYTHING! I TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING! I-"

And that was when Jinora really did scream. The ice cracked and cracked, louder and louder each time until finally it would take no more. Nima fell right through the center of the lake, her own high pitched scream not even making a full run before it was drowned in the icy waters beneath the frozen lake. Kai was already on it, the ice be damned, he threw himself on his knees at the hole Nima had fallen right through, taking off his jacket before diving head first. Jinora was already there, slipping and sliding across the ice to get to them both as, she too, fell to her knees.

"Please, please, please… oh my god." She could feel tears welling up in her eyes and her breathing becoming more shallow. "Please come back up, oh my god, please come back up-"

They seemed to be down there forever, lost in the frozen waters. Needing something to do, Jinora quickly whipped out her phone and called for an ambulance, the police, fire station _. Anybody_ really who could come and help them-

Just as an operator assured them that someone was coming their direction, a hand, then a head and then two heads emerged from the water, gasping for air. Well, Kai was gasping for air and that made Jinora nearly collapse as she realized her daughter was not breathing.

"Oh my god," Jinora cried, hot tears falling.

Kai didn't even look at her, putting Nima on top of his jacket and pressing his hands over her small body. He repeatedly pressed on the middle of her chest, bringing his head down to breathe into her mouth and then back again in a repeated motion. She lay still, the pressure making her body move, but not her own lungs.

Jinora put hands over her mouth, crying in earnest now. "Baby, _please_. Oh my god, sweetheart, please start breathing, just please-"

One more time, Kai breathing into their daughter's mouth and went back to pumping the spot over her heart with his hands.

She sputtered to life.

Nima coughed up water, almost hacking, her eyes barely opened, but she began to breathe again and Jinora let out a little yelp of something between relief and horror. Now that she was breathing, Kai took the jacket and wrapped it around Nima tightly, holding her in his chest. Nima's eyes weren't open and when Jinora reached out to grab a bare, violently trembling hand, it was as cold as the ice beneath their knees.

After that, it was a flurry as the ambulance finally arrived and took Nima in. Of course, both Kai and Jinora rode in the ambulance with her, neither letting her out of their sight as the paramedics did their work. They immediately removed her wet clothes, setting a warmer thick blanket over her body, put various heat packs all over her body and stuck an IV needle into an arm where some kind of liquid was attached to it.

The entire time, they could see Nima trembling as if her body was desperately trying to save her through it. Raava, she'd been out there in nothing but some thin lounge clothes on and it had to be only thirty degrees outside. Less, most likely.

Neither Kai nor Jinora talked, their attention rapt on their daughter, but when Jinora felt Kai's hand on her back, she didn't push it away just this one time.

-:-:-:-

All at once, Jinora felt like she'd aged ten years, and like she was five years old again, vulnerable and scared and unsure. She'd never liked hospitals; even when she had given birth to her children, she hadn't liked them, knowing that while she was facilitating the beginning of a life, someone else's was ending in the same building.

The stark white walls and floors seemed even more unfriendly now as she waited in Nima's hospital room, nurses and doctors rushing past every so often, a thick silence between her and Kai in the next chair over.

Even now, she could still feel the echo of her heart where it'd been pounding away behind her ribs. She had her hand in Nima's, if only, to make sure there was some kind of human warmth on her.

Jinora's head was spinning, yet, halted all the same. There was no need to address the elephant rhino in the room. That beast had stomped all over herself and Kai. No, she wouldn't excuse Kai from all of this. The good and the bad. Deep down in her heart she knew that he loved his children with all of his own. As it was, he was still in his damp, cold clothes. None of the nurses were able to get him to slip out of them into something more comfortable.

IV's were placed into Nima's arms, tubes running in and out of her and an oxygen mask on her face. She was still pale even though the doctors said that she would be fine more than likely, but they were going to have to monitor her for pneumonia among other things.

Jinora couldn't think. Could barely bring herself to move.

Her baby had nearly died and-

And, by the spirits, it had been all of their own fault. Kai's, yes, but…

 _I was Mom and I was Dad._

Still, none of this would have happened if Kai would just _understand_. Why couldn't he just get what it felt like for her? His voice, his every move… it infuriated her and grief struck her all at once. He had no right to be here anymore.

If he hadn't-

"Er…" said a nurse standing at the door. "Mr. Fong, Ms. Gyatso? Someone's here to see Nima. A Mr. Pabu Jegal?"

Jinora looked up. "Oh, yes, that's her, um, therapist. Send him in."

As the nurse left, Kai asked, "How's she been doing in therapy?"

Jinora's throat constricted as she said, "I don't know. I...I never even bothered to ask."

"Me neither," Kai said regretfully, and for the first time in five years, Jinora couldn't bring herself to be as angry with him as she wanted.

Pabu came in with a tight, grave expression on his face, his eyes cloudy and tired as he looked at Nima, laying still on the bed.

"I really thought we'd made progress," he sighed. Then, he looked at Kai and Jinora, his expression hardening. "You two. Outside."

Jinora had done well in school during the brief time she was there, so she'd never had to experience the dread of an impending harsh lecture till that moment. She stood up immediately and followed the therapist out to the hall, not even pulling away when Kai drew closer to her.

The door shut gently behind them, and Jinora felt Kai's hand on her elbow. She couldn't bring herself to draw away, not when Pabu was looking at them with a tight expression on his face.

"You let your daughter out of your sight long enough for her to-" He sighed. His voice was quiet but intense, and he inhaled through his nose again, looking sharply at them. "How long is the walk from your house to the lake?"

Both of them were silent before Jinora said, very quietly, "Almost half an hour? Leaning toward it..."

"So you both left your daughter unattended long enough to sneak out of the house and walk all the way to - she could have been out there for longer and gotten lost and frozen to death or-"

"We know, sir," Kai said. "We went looking for her as soon as we realized."

"And it was barely fast enough," he said sharply. "Did she ever tell you why she would go out in the middle of a lake on her own? Did you even bother to ask?"

Jinora swallowed. Kai didn't say anything. Of course, neither of them had bothered to ask. They hadn't had a chance because-

Because Nima had been in danger. Neither of them had thought about it or dared to even question her. They'd just wanted her to _get off_ the ice.

"I-" Jinora stammered, barely able to talk at this point. "We didn't know she was gone…"

A weak answer. A stupid answer, but one true all the same. No, they hadn't known. They hadn't been watching. She was just so angry at Kai for not listening to her and not, for once, just doing something without being difficult.

"Jinora and I-"

"Were arguing." Pabu raised his brows as if he knew he was right on the money. "Well? Am I right? You two were arguing, weren't you?"

Their silence was enough answer to him and he rubbed his forehead. Irritated, disappointed. Like he had miscalculated. Expected more, but Jinora shook her head. "I was just so mad at Kai for not _listening_ -"

"We had a miscommunication, okay?" Kai said tightly. "And is this really the time?"

"No," Pabu said before Jinora could retort. "No, it's not, but you know what? Here it is. Mr. Fong, you left. You _left_ her." He winced, but proverbially took the stance of a man digging in his heels. "You left the entire family. And it _ruined_ them. You have to get that. You have to _accept_ that. Of course your every word sends her into a frenzy! She loved you and you just up and left for whatever reason! Didn't even try to explain yourself. Just gone. You have to get that what you did, no matter why you did it, hurt her _and_ your children. From Jinora all the way down to the two kids who were two young to properly remember you and only can now to an extent because of Nima."

Jinora nodded, glad finally someone said it better, but then Pabu rounded right on her.

"And _you_ need to quit taking all your energy out on hating a man who you happen to have three children with. At least so openly."

"I-"

"No, just listen." Pabu put his hand up. Jinora's mouth shut. "I get it. He left. It sucks. You don't have to like him, but you have to accept that fact that he is back in your life. Not for you, but because of the children you three have together. Do you even know why he left? Did you even bother letting him say his piece? No, because you're so busy hating him that now we're _here_."

He went on.

"But let me assure you that _both_ of you had a hand in this. From what I've gotten from your daughter and spirits help me I shouldn't even be saying this..." He turned to Kai. "You need to let her be angry. Jinora needs to be angry at you for a while. At least some. Because if she doesn't then she's never going to feel like her anger was valid. Those kids were _taken away from her,_ chiefly, because you walked out on them. No reasoning is ever going to change that. You left them." He, then, turned to Jinora. "And you abandoned them."

That, Jinora - how dare he, really - would _not_ take. She had _never_ done such a thing. Kai had. He had done that. _He had been the one to do that._ Not her.

"I _never_ -" she began fiercely.

"Yes, you did. And you continue to do so. It's not like you were _barred_ from seeing the kids. It's not like they said you couldn't ever come see them. Come visit them. Not once did you do any of that."

"I-" Her breathing damn near stopped. "I was trying to get it all together… I was just trying to-"

"You abandoned them too. Miss Gyatso, you stopped seeing your children for reasons I'm all too familiar with in my line of work. I apologize for talking to you like I'm picking you apart, but your daughter nearly froze to death and drowned today. And if the man you hate so much hadn't dived in and saved her at the moment he did, she might not be with us right now. When you're emotionally compromised, you tend to abandon them in the same way. Nima's told me how you just kind of walk out of the house after every argument with her father. How do you think that makes her feel? She's been through so much already and to keep watching you just… just _walk out?_ And, what's more, is that from what I'm getting, you didn't exactly try hard enough to see them after they were taken away. You lost track of them entirely." Pabu frowned. "He may have abandoned them, yes… but so did you. _He_ left them and _you_ didn't come for them. Nima has been _raising_ those kids since she was _five_. Truly, it's a child raising children."

Neither Jinora nor Kai spoke for a very long time. Then, after swallowing hard, Jinora said, in a very brittle voice, "Thank you for your honesty. I-if you'll excuse me, I...I need some time with my daughter."

Pabu just nodded, and Jinora walked back into the room, feeling numb and not entirely in control of herself as she sat down at Nima's bedside. She took her daughter's hand, which wasn't quite so cold anymore, and squeezed it gently, kissing the back of it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

She heard Kai behind her. "I am too."

For the first time in an eternity, Jinora did not want him gone entirely.

-:-:-:-

She woke up with a crick in her neck and a stiffness in her knees. Even sleeping in her bug had been better than this, she thought, as she stretched out in the plastic hospital chair.

She glanced over at Nima in her bed, fast asleep, looking far less pale, and she let out a soft sigh. The heart monitor was beeping regularly, like a noise of relief against the quiet. Nima's therapist was gone, having left after making sure that Nima would be just fine. Across the hospital bed from Jinora was Kai, having taken residence right next to Nima. Their daughter's hand was in his, Kai's head resting on his free hand as he slept.

For a moment, Jinora's heart flickered with a nastiness that she'd been harboring for weeks now, but… she found that she just couldn't muster it. That bitter ember in her could not start the fire of pain that it had been roaring for so long since Kai had come back.

Not with Nima sitting there. Not when Jinora apparently didn't know everything Nima had been through. And, dear Raava, Jinora had never _asked_. She'd never sat down and asked Nima about her experiences, about how she was feeling, even about how she'd felt with Kai had left.

It was just like Pabu had said. She'd been just as bad as Kai.

How many times had Nima wondered where was her father? What haunted Jinora in that moment was the question of how many times had Nima wondered where was her _mother_? And why hadn't her mother come for them? That was what moms did. They stayed by their children the entire way, but Jinora…

Jinora had not seen her children for the past three years and that was her fault entirely. Her own fault. Nothing had stopped her from seeing her children but her own self-pity.

"I fucked up," she said quietly, to herself, or to no one in particular.

"We," said a voice from across the bed. Kai didn't even look at her though. His eyes were on Nima. "We fucked up."

She almost smiled as she glanced back at him. "I was so busy blaming you…"

"You had every right to. You still do."

"But you didn't act alone. I…" She shut her eyes tightly. "Even when I came back, I kept leaving them. At least you were consistent when you came back." She picked at a cuticle, unable to look at him. "I kept telling myself that I was just trying to protect the kids, to keep you from disappointing them, but...I think was just trying to protect myself."

"I don't blame you. I hurt you. And I've never forgiven myself for it."

"I think I also…" Jinora bit her lip. "I wanted them to myself, in a way. I just...I wanted to hurt you back, by not letting you have them."

Kai bit his lip. "I'll admit that I was a little angry as well. Not the same way you were. I mean, I deserved that, but I just… I didn't understand one thing."

"What?"

"How? How did it happen?"

Jinora frowned. "What do you mean 'how', Kai? I don't want to get into another fight. Not right now."

"No, I mean, how did you lose them? We had enough money to keep you going until you found a good job and maybe even afford a babysitter while you did it. I left you _everything_ we had. Every cent. I only had the clothes on my back when I left…"

Jinora blinked at him. "What? We had nothing. I couldn't even make ends meet working two jobs, I was trying to find a third when they were taken away...there was no money, Kai." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Wait, so...you didn't take it?"

"Of course I didn't! I thought - didn't he give it to you? All the money I had left. I had maybe twenty yuans on me at most, just to cover gas and some meals, I left it all in a big envelope with Skoochy to deliver to you-"

"Skoochy? What?"

"Jinora, I even left a longer letter, it - it didn't explain everything, but it at least had more information than that sticky note that I had to leave, I-" Kai looked at her desperately. "You didn't have anything?"

"All we had were leftovers after I had to pay rent on my own," Jinora said. "There was no money."

"There should've been. There-" Kai's eyes softened. "God, no wonder you hated me so much."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll..." He took a deep breath. "We'll have to track down Skoochy, and then everything will make sense. But we'd both have to go, and…" He squeezed Nima's hand. "We should just stay here till she wakes up."

Jinora was quiet for a long moment. "We can deal with him later. All of that. I think we need to make sure she's okay. And get ourselves together for… for all the kids. They didn't deserve what we did to them… do you think we should see Nima's therapist?"

Jinora had to admit that the idea made her nervous. She would do it of course. Of course. Anything for her baby. But, still, the idea made her nervous.

Kai stared at her.

"...what?" she asked, no longer having it in her to be annoyed with him at the moment.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "That's just the first time you've asked me my opinion since we've… met back up. At least, it's the first time I remembered."

"Well...you're their father. Whether I like it or not. And...you love them. I still don't understand everything, but I know you love them, now." She looked down at her hands, taking Nima's in one of hers again. "We should work together. Like...like you were trying to do when you first came back." She looked up at him shyly. "I'm sorry."

Kai's throat bobbed. "I-" he began, looking her in the eyes as he did. He sighed. "So am I. I really am. I know that it might not matter to you exactly, but… I didn't want to leave. I never did."

Jinora could feel her eyes stinging again. "Then… then why did you?"

Before Kai could get an answer out, there was the quietest cough, the quietest whisper and the faintest squeeze of the hand. Kai must have heard it too because he looked at Nima and nearly stood up, brushing her hair from her face with his free hand.

"Mommy?" Nima whispered. It was so weak. So faint that it broke Jinora's heart. They had done this to her, despite the relief in Jinora's heart right now. Nima's own parents had been the one to put her right here. Jinora caressed her cheek.

"I'm here, baby," Jinora whispered back. "Both of us. Daddy and I are right here."

Nima smiled weakly. "Mommy... can we get ice cream later?"

She chuckled softly. "See if it's okay with your father."

Nima blinked in surprise, then looked at Kai, who nodded tearfully.

"Whatever you want, baby girl," he said softly. "Mommy and I will be here with you the whole time."

Nima beamed as best she could and, spirits, Jinora felt her heart swell two sizes. Jinora pressed a kiss to her forehead, her daughter only managing a small, yet happy, "Yay."

Jinora laughed despite herself. "Just rest for now, baby."

Nima sighed softly and closed her eyes. "Okay."

Jinora looked up and exchanged a glance with Kai, and could no longer muster up any real malice for him. Even in spite of all her questions, he was here, holding their baby's hand, and for now, that was enough.

She smiled, grateful when he smiled back.

Their family would be okay.

* * *

The awaited chapter ten. Good lord we made ya'll wait. I have to warn you that this is the last finished chapter in the queue, but we'll try to get new chapters done as soon as school permits us to! For now, enjoy this new chapter and hopefully chapter 11 will be out before it's too long.

As always, we really love those reviews. Those reviews keep us motivated to write the story and keep us going. Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


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